Airbus signs agreement for 5 A380's in China

China Southern Airlines and China Aviation Supplies Imp. & Exp. Group Corporation (CASGC) have signed a General Terms Agreement (GTA) with Airbus for the purchase of five A380s. This is the first commitment placed by a Chinese carrier for the A380, which becomes the 15th customer for the Airbus' super jumbo.

“As one of the largest carriers in China, we are pleased to join the list of renown customers for Airbus’ new double-decker. We believe that the A380 will further build our image of reliability, punctuality and efficiency and increase our competitiveness in the global market, ” said Liu Shaoyong, Chairman of China Southern Airlines. “We also hope that the acquiring of the A380 will help China become a powerful civil aviation giant.”

“The A380 is the newest and largest airliner ever produced in the world. CASGC has enjoyed an excellent cooperative relationship with Airbus for many years. Through our joint efforts, Airbus can provide modern and economic aviation products to Chinese airlines, while CASGC can offer high quality and value-added services to Chinese airlines, and we are pleased to join the list of renown customers for Airbus’ new double-decker," CASGC Vice President Zhu Yanjun said.

"We are extraordinarily pleased to have received the first commitment for the A380 from China, which marks a significant breakthrough of our business in this important and strategic market,” said Airbus President and CEO Noël Forgeard. “The A380 will effectively accommodate ever growing air travel demand in the dynamic Chinese market, and will be able to provide first-class services to 2008 Olympics in Beijing, 2010 World Expo in Shanghai and 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.“

With today’s agreement, Airbus has now 154 orders and commitments from 15 customers for the A380 programme.

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