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Airbus SAS has opened a logistics company in Tianjin, China, to optimize and support supply chain management for present and future industrial cooperation programs of EADS and Airbus in China. The center, in Tianjin's Free Trade Zone Comprehensive Bonded Area, is now fully operational.

Airbus hopes that the establishment of this base in Tianjin will optimize all transport and logistics-related activities, with reference to Airbus China.

Airbus (Tianjin) Logistics will provide strong support to all industrial exchanges between China and the rest of the world, which are needed as a result of our expanding industrial activities in China. The Airbus logistics centre in Tianjin is another step forward in our cooperation with Tianjin, where we already have the A320 Family Final Assembly Line and Delivery Centre, stated Laurence Barron, Airbus China President.

Company officials and partners believe that a harmonized and streamlined supply chain will increase the efficiency of the Airbus production lines and reduce logistics costs.

This improvement in our logistics set-up will also support the production of the A350 XWB, of which five percent of the airframe will be manufactured in China, Laurence mentioned.

The initial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with Tianjin Free Trade Zone was completed in October, 2009. However, it was only in 2010 that the center started operations in temporary facilities, having already served two major aeronautic projects in Tianjin: the A320 wing equipping project and the assembling and testing of the wing slats by Sinelson Aero (Tianjin), to be installed on aircraft assembled at the FALC.

However, the ChinaDaily added that Barron was of the opinion that it would take time to ensure that all Airbus-related goods are routed through ATL because the company cannot change existing contracts. Another problem facing ATL is the reorganization of the existing goods flow.

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