TIANJIN, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Airbus and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China Xi'an Aircraft International (Tianjin) Corporation (AVIC XAT), officially launched the first A321 aircraft fuselage equipping cooperative project in China on Tuesday.

The move to localize this crucial and sophisticated equipping process for Airbus' top-selling narrow-body aircraft in China, which accounts for approximately 40 percent of A320 family aircraft delivered from Airbus Tianjin since 2024, underscores the European manufacturer's confidence in China's supply chain capabilities and deepening industrial partnership.

Fuselage equipping involves installing and testing a mass of key components onto the front and rear sections of aircraft before final assembly. The front and rear sections of the first A321 have arrived at Tianjin Port in north China in early July and have been transferred to AVIC XAT's facility.

Over the next 50 working days, Airbus and AVIC XAT will conduct incoming inspection, isolation and bracket installation, as well as testing and installation of the electrical, electronic, drainage, oxygen supply, flight control and hydraulic systems.

The A321 fuselage systems equipping is scheduled for completion this October before delivery to Airbus Tianjin's Final Assembly Line (FAL), according to Airbus.

The cooperation on this best-selling aircraft A321 builds on successful partnership between Chinese manufacturers and Airbus on A320 family aircraft.

Since June 2021, AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group Company Ltd. has undertaken fuselage systems equipping work for Airbus aircraft. The company has since evolved into a strategic supplier for the A320 program, managing both wing and fuselage equipping operations.

The collaboration was officially expanded to A321 models at Airshow China last year in the city of Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong Province.

"This newly launched A321 fuselage equipping project advances our partnership on single-aisle aircraft and demonstrates Airbus' commitment to localization," said George Xu, executive vice president of Airbus and CEO of Airbus China.

Airbus forecasts that China will require more than 9,500 new passenger and freighter aircraft over the next two decades, accounting for over 20 percent of global demand.

To meet this demand, Airbus is upgrading its Tianjin facilities and building a second FAL for A320 family, which is scheduled for operation in early 2026. This will make Tianjin home to two of Airbus' ten global single-aisle FALs.

"China's supply chain is indispensable to global aviation, proving highly resilient and competitive," Xu noted, highlighting cooperation with more than 200 Chinese suppliers supporting Airbus production.

This year marks 40 years of partnership between Airbus and China's civil aviation industry, which has evolved beyond aircraft exports to encompass the entire product lifecycle, ranging from R&D to manufacturing, assembly, operational support and even end-of-life disassembly and recycling.

Airbus will deepen vertical integration with Chinese partners to expand their industrial footprint, drive full-chain progress, and contribute to China's high-quality aviation development, Xu added.