New company will have headquarters in London
The Aviation Industry Corporation of China has unveiled its new AVIC Cabin Systems (ACS) company, which will have its headquarters in London.
Tan Ruisong, AVIC Chairman, gave a speech at the launch ceremony on day one, saying this was an important move for the Chinese civil aircraft industry and in response to market demand and industry developments.
“The fact that the company’s operational headquarters is based in London demonstrates AVIC’s confidence in the business environment in the UK and Europe,” he said.
“This is another important step in AVIC’s globalisation. We hope that the integration will create synergy among our member companies, optimise their resources and enhance our competitiveness, providing better integrated cabin interior solutions for the global market.”
Global cabin interiors market predicted to grow to $18.4bn
He said ACS products cover most interior market segments, including being a provider to major OEMs like Boeing and Airbus.
ACS owns five major companies around the world – FACC, a supplier of floor and composite aerostructures, in Austria; Fesher Aviation Components, which supplies aircraft interior panels and composite structures, in China; Thompson Aero Seating, a suppler of first-class and business-class seats, based in Northern Ireland; Ali-Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, which produces economy-class seats, in China; and Aim Altitude, a supplier of monuments and galleys, based in Bournemouth, UK. AIM also has an R&D centre in New Zealand.
ACS says the global cabin interiors market is predicted to grow to $18.4bn by 2025 with an annual growth rate of 5 per cent.
It says it is determined to seize the opportunity to provide top-class competitive turnkey products and services and become a global leader.
This latest announcement underlines the growing importance of UK-China relations in the aerospace industry.
Air China announced last week that it will start flying the UK’s only non-stop service between the UK and Chengdu – the capital of Sichuan province. This brings the total number of flights to China from the UK to around 150 per week.
