Boeing, Airbus to expand production in Asia   

中国等亚太市场需求激增 波音空客扩大生产计划

因应中国、印度等新兴市场的巨大需求，美国波音公司和法国空中客车两大飞机制造商分别宣布，加速扩大各自客机生产计划。波音公司3日宣布，将未来20年客机生产量调高500架至3.4万架，总价值4.5万亿美元。空中客车2日也宣布，在美国阿拉巴马州莫比尔市投资6亿美元兴建一座A320客机组装厂，2016年交付订单。

San Francisco (CNS) -- The world's two largest airplane makers, Boeing and Airbus, recently announced plans to expand passenger plane production into the newly-emerging markets of China and India.

US-based Boeing said Tuesday it would manufacture 34,000 passenger planes in the next 20 years, with a total value of US$4.5 trillion.

A day earlier, France's Airbus announced a fund of US$600 million for the construction of a new A320 assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama, expected to deliver products from 2016.

Boeing and Airbus evenly share the global airline market with about 20,000 planes, estimated Boeing, a figure that is likely to double by 2031.

China's airline market has much potential because of its prosperous economy, said Randy Tinseth, vice president for marketing at Boeing's commercial aircraft division.

China will need 4,400 new aircraft in the coming two decades, accounting for 14 percent of the global sum, according to estimates. Demand by the Asia Pacific region will grow by 12,030, followed by 7,760 in Europe and 7,290 in North America.

Airline companies with low operation costs are the market choice in both China and Asia Pacific countries, Tinseth said.

The Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320, both single-aisle types with 90 to 200 seats, are favorites globally. 737s account for more than 23,000 of Boeing's entire production plan.