The first Airbus A320 plane assembled in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin has passed its trial flight from the Tianjin Binhai International Airport. The plane is scheduled for delivery to Sichuan Airlines by the end of June.
Airbus says the Tianjin line is still assembling eight A320s. Eleven of the aircraft are due for delivery this year. Starting from 2011, the company will be able to produce 48 A320 planes each year.
The Tianjin plant is Airbus's third assembly line, and its first outside Europe. The first two are in France and Germany. The Tianjin operation started last September. Besides the A320, it's also set to assemble the A319.