Airbus starts A321 aircraft production in China's Tianjin

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus started to produce A321 aircraft at its Final Assembly Line Asia (FALA) facility in north China's Tianjin on Wednesday -- confirmation that China is capable of delivering all models of Airbus' A320 family aircraft.

"The A321 is currently one of the most popular aircraft in the A320 family," said George Xu, CEO of Airbus China. "This is our latest step in China, showing our unwavering support for the Chinese market."

The first A321 aircraft assembled in Tianjin is expected to be delivered early next year.

At present, the company's backlog of A321 aircraft accounts for around 60 percent of its total global backlog for the A320 family aircraft range.

Able to seat more than 200 passengers, the single-aisle A321 model is capable of flying long routes matching the capacity of a wide-bodied aircraft, but at more economical operational costs.