India tests Airbus assembly line interest

Le Bourget, Paris: India caught planemaker Airbus off guard by trying to gauge its interest in building an assembly line on Indian soil on Wednesday, matching investment in China where Airbus plans to build jets from 2009.
The idea was floated in front of journalists by India's civil aviation minister at the Paris air show just as Kingfisher Airlines was signing on the dotted line for $7 billion in provisional new orders, highlighting fast Indian traffic growth.
Airbus agreed last year to set up an assembly line for the A320 family of jets in China from 2009 to meet strong demand. But India's aviation market is also spreading its wings rapidly.
"I would be very happy to see that," Indian Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told reporters, shortly after raising the idea of an Indian assembly line at a signing ceremony for the Kingfisher plane order, which includes 20 A320s.
"I mentioned it to them (Airbus) yesterday. India is one of the largest markets in the next 10 years," he said. He also said Indian companies would like to invest more in Europe.
20/06/07 Tim Hepher/Reuters

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Categories: Airshow Paris 2007, Foreign Jun 2007, General Aviation Jun 2007, Kingfisher Jun 2007