Airbus to Build New China Jet Factory as Apple Pulls Back
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Airbus SE will double production capacity in China of its top-selling jet in a bold bet on future demand in one of the world's biggest aviation markets.The European planemaker will add a second final assembly line for A320 narrow-bodies at its existing factory in Tianjin, under a deal signed by Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury in Beijing on Thursday. The move is a boost for Chinese manufacturing as other firms like Apple Inc. rethink production in the nation amid rising tensions with the US. The expansion of the Tianjin facility will be an “important part” of Airbus's plan to produce as many as 75 A320neo family jets a month by 2026, Faury said on a call with reporters from Beijing. At the plant, which opened in 2008, workers stitch together major sections such as wings an...