Airbus aircraft programs involve some 1,500 suppliers in more than 30 countries worldwide. Examples of Asia-Pacific participation include:
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India's Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL): production of passenger doors for the single-aisle A320
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Kawasaki Heavy Industries: the manufacture in Japan of skin panels for A321 fuselage sections
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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI): production of A319 and A320 shroud boxes
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Fuji Heavy Industries and Japan Aircraft Manufacturing Co, are among a host of Japanese suppliers participating in the A380 program
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Korean Air Aerospace Division: upper fuselage shells for the A330/A340 family
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Daewoo Heavy Industries: A320 fuselage panels and A330/A340 wing parts
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Composites Technology Research Malaysia (CTRM): supply fixed leading edge lower wing panels for the A380.
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Chengdu Aerospace company: A320 rear passenger doors,
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Xian Aircraft Company: avionics access doors for the A300, 310, A330 and A340
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Shenyang Aircraft Corporation: supplies A320 wing ribs and A319/A320 emergency exit doors
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Guizhou Aviation Industrial Group: produces maintenance jigs and tools for Airbus aircraft
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Hawker de Havilland: produces A320 wing ribs as well as floor structures, main landing gear doors, wingtip fences and center line landing gear doors for the A330/A340 at its factories at Bankstown in Sydney and Fishermen's Bend in Melbourne; has also been chosen by Airbus to design and build the wingtips and wingtip-fences for the Airbus A380 superjumbo.
The Asia Pacific region is the single largest market globally for aircraft in the latter segment, accounting for approximately 60% of worldwide demand for aircraft with more than 400 seats, such as the flagship 555-seat A380.
With a continued focus on the highest quality in aircraft design, operational reliability, passenger comfort and customer service, Airbus has been consistently successful in the European market. Air France and Lufthansa, were Airbus earliest customers and operators on the European Continent. Customers in Europe have placed almost one-third of all orders for Airbus aircraft, and are operating nearly 1,000 aircraft, making Europe one of the most important markets for Airbus.
Lufthansa (Germany), the Air France Group, Iberia (Spain) and British Airways lead the list of Airbus's largest customers in Europe. CSA started operations with an Airbus A310, and Aeroflot International Airlines followed in 1992. In 1998 Croatia Airlines became the first A319 operator in Central Europe.
Many European carriers have also become launch customers for new aircraft programs. Lufthansa helped launch the A310. Air France, British Caledonian, Adria Airways and Cyprus Airways were among the first to sign up for the A320.
Lufthansa and Air France were among the airlines, which launched the A330/A340, together with THY Turkish Airlines, which became an A340 operator in July 1993. Alitalia and Lufthansa were launch customers for the A321, while Lufthansa and Eurowings were amongst the earliest operators of the A319. In July 2001 Scandinavian Airlines became the first A340 customer in Northern Europe reinforcing the market leadership of Airbus A330/A340 Family.
Since 1997 the Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) has also won a number of orders from European companies such as Daimler Chrysler and from European governments in Italy and France.
Air France and British Airways have ordered the 107-seat A318. Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic have ordered the A340-500 and A340-600 amongst others.
The world's largest airliner, the A380, to enter into service in 2006, has already received firm orders from Air France and Virgin Atlantic.
Airbus has been present in the Middle East and in North Africa right from its earliest days with Iran Air, Egyptair and Tunisair as its first customers in 1978, 1979 and 1980, respectively. With an order for four A321s in June 2001, Royal Air Maroc joined Airbus' worldwide customer base of some180 customers. With a fleet of 18 aircraft in service, Tunisair is now Airbus' largest customer in North Africa, one of the first A320 customers in the region in 1988, and in 1997 it was the very first airline to opt for the A319; in the wide body category, Tunisair operates three A300-600s. Charter carrier Nouvelair has also ordered the A320, and it now has three in service.
Air Algérie, has two A310 in service. For the whole North Africa/Middle East region, Airbus' largest customer is now Emirates which has placed orders for a total of 69 aircraft, in 2000 it was the very first airline to place an order for the largest airliner in the world, the A380, it is today the world's largest single customer for this aircraft. Emirates is also the number one customer airline for the A330-200.
Egyptair is also the main customer for the A320 Family there, with 16 aircraft ordered, including four A321s. Egyptair is also a customer for the A340. Kuwait Airways, the first carrier in the region to acquire the A310 in 1983, was in 1991 the first Arab customer to order the A340. Gulf Air became the first operator of the European four-engine aircraft in 1994. Gulf Air was also the first Middle Eastern carrier to order the A330, in 1993.
Qatar Airways became an Airbus customer in 2001 when it placed orders for A320s and A330s. In the same year, Qatar Airways became the first airline to operate the Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ). Saudia, the launch customer for the A300-600, received its first aircraft in 1984. As for Royal Jordanian, it was the first airline in the Arab world to order the A320 in 1986, to which it added the very long-range A340 in 2002.
Syrian Arab Airlines became an Airbus customer in 1997 with an order for A320s. Middle East Airlines (MEA), an A310 operator for several years, decided in 1996 to operate A320s and A321s .The Lebanese airline operates A330-200s, along with six A321s which will replace the single-aisle aircraft it has on lease.
Other carriers in the region flying Airbus aircraft include Amiri Flight Abu Dhabi, Lotus Airline, Shorouk Air, Tristar Air and Yemenia-Yemen Airways, as well as several private customers
Airbus' presence in Latin America dates back to the second half of the seventies when Airbus placed the A300 essentially in Brazil. During this period, Airbus has sold over 180 of its airliners in Latin America, which represents 17 customers and operators currently operating 176 Airbus aircraft.
In 1998, Grupo TACA, Grupo LAN and Brazil's TAM jointly placed a firm order for 90 single-aisle aircraft and a further 90 options - of which 27 have already been converted into firm orders. Aerolíneas Argentinas became not only the first operator of the A340 Family in the region but also a launch customer for the A340-600.
Brazil's TAM is the largest Airbus fleet operator in the region, with a total of 53 Airbus aircraft in service (nine A330s, 31 A320s and 13 A319s). LAN Chile joined the growing number of Latin American Airbus operators, placing seven firm orders for A340s and 25 firm orders for A320s. Air Jamaica operates an all-Airbus fleet of single-aisle A320s and A321s as well as A310 and A340 wide bodies. In addition, Grupo TACA's current fleet expansion program will eventually result in an Airbus single-aisle fleet totaling up to some 49 aircraft.
Carriers such as ACES of Colombia, Air Jamaica, Cubana de Aviación, Grupo TACA, LACSA of Costa Rica, LAN Chile, LAN Peru, Mexicana de Aviación, TACA Peru and TAM of Brazil operate some 145 aircraft of the A320 Family. , the Venezuelan Government acquired an A319 Corporate Jet for its official transportation needs in 2002. This was the first Airbus Corporate Jet purchase in this region.
The A320 and its smaller sister, the A319, are the only aircraft able to take off with practically no limitations from the most demanding high altitude airports such as Mexico, Bogotá or Quito (altitudes of between 7,000 and 9,000 feet/2,300 and 2,800 meters).
Carriers such as Air Jamaica or Lloyd Aereo Boliviano operate the A310s on daily services. Air Jamaica operates three A340-300s on regular routes between Kingston and London while LAN Chile also operates four A340-300s on its European and US routes. Aerolíneas Argentinas operates four A340-200s on its international network, and BWIA operates an A340-300 on its route to Europe. Brazilian-based carrier TAM operates nine A330-200s on daily services, which include international services to Miami and Paris.
Reflecting the growing presence of Airbus aircraft in North America, there are four established hubs of Airbus activity there; the Headquarters for Airbus North America (ANA) is located in Herndon, Virginia. Airbus Customer Services is also housed in the Herndon headquarters building.
Airbus North America's Spares Center is located in Ashburn, Virginia. Working in concert with the Spares facilities in Hamburg and Beijing, the Airbus North America Spares Center takes great pride in a fast turnaround of request into action for customers in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.
The southernmost Airbus facility in North America is the Airbus Training Center (ATC) in Miami, Florida. ATC houses cabin door and slide trainers, state-of-the-art computer-based training classrooms, aircraft system trainers and flight simulators. The newest Airbus facility in the U.S. is in Wichita, Kansas, is the first design and engineering venture for Airbus in North America and hosts some 140 engineers working on the newest and largest Airbus aircraft, the A380, as well as other Airbus long-range programs.
Airbus also contributes greatly to the U.S. economy by utilizing the skills and products of hundreds of American companies in more than 40 states in its manufacturing process.
Major North American airlines and leasing companies, such as Air Canada, America West, FedEx, Frontier Airlines, GECAS, International Lease Finance Corporation, JetBlue, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, United Parcel Service and US Airways have ordered more than 2,000 jetliners from Airbus, from the smallest (A318) to the largest (A380) aircraft in the Airbus product line.
Some other customers are:
- A320 Family: South African Airways, China Eastern Airlines, International Lease Finance Corporation and Air New Zealand.
- A330/A340 Family: Taiwan’s China Airlines, Lufthansa, South Airways and Swiss International Air Lines.
- A380 Family: Federal Express
