Airbus has opened a second final assembly line (FAL) in Tianjin, a port city in northern China, for the production of A320 family narrowbody jets. This marks the second such line in both China and all of Asia.
The final assembly line was inaugurated on October 22, 2025, following a meeting in Beijing on October 21, 2025, between China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.
During the meeting, both parties committed to exploring opportunities to boost investment and strengthen collaboration in China’s aviation sector.
According to local media outlet China.org.cn report, Wentao highlighted that China’s market has been steadily growing in recent years, making it the world’s second-largest consumer market and the second-largest import market.
The minister said that the country will continue to promote Chinese modernization, which will create significant opportunities for foreign companies, including Airbus.
According to the publication, Wang expressed his hope that Airbus would use the opening of the final assembly line to enhance cooperation with China and provide more high-quality aviation products and services.
Meanwhile, Faury stated that Airbus is confident in the Chinese economy and the growth of China’s civil aviation industry.
He added that the European manufacturer is dedicated to expanding its presence in the Chinese market and contributing to economic and trade cooperation between China and France, as well as between China and the EU, the report concluded.
Growing A320 production in two major markets
Airbus appears to be increasing its footprint in the two biggest economies, China and the US, by setting up more A320 assembly lines.
On October 13, 2025, Airbus revealed that it has launched its second A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama. The manufacturer said that this particular assembly line has tripled in size since it started manufacturing commercial aircraft in the US in 2015.
Airbus has more than 20 manufacturing sites, each responsible for producing and/or assembling various aircraft components, which are then sent to final assembly lines where the complete aircraft is built.
The European manufacturer currently operates 12 final assembly lines in five different global sites, including its headquarters in Toulouse, France, which has two final assembly lines for the single-aisle A320 family, and one each for the widebody A330 and A350.
Based on this, 11th Annual Aeronautical Materials and Manufacturing Technology Forum 2025 is scheduled to take place on December 4-5. The forum will focus on the theme of “Digital Intelligence Empowerment: Technological Upgrades for the Entire Lifecycle of Aeronautical Materials,” delving into innovative breakthroughs in new materials and processes enabled by digital intelligence technology. Discussions will center on key industry topics such as digital intelligence empowerment across the entire lifecycle, green and low-carbon manufacturing, aeronautical materials iteration, and aircraft structural weight reduction. The forum will align with market demands, explore future industry directions, and unite various stakeholders to collectively contribute ideas and efforts toward the green and intelligent upgrading of China's aeronautical materials manufacturing across the entire lifecycle!