Here's the Chinese factory where Airbus assembles its most popular plane
With over 1,150 Airbus planes operating in China, it only made sense for the French aerospace conglomerate to have a presence in the country.
Airbus' first factory outside of Europe, the Tianjin assembly plant opened in 2008.
Like most of the Tianjin Free Trade Zone, just outside Beijing, large factories and warehouses are prevalent.
Segments for final assembly arrive in China on a specially designed Airbus known as "Beluga."
The plane's 117-foot wingspan takes of up most of the space.
But there's more room on the ground for people, who barely reach above the plane's landing gear.
The airliner's large size makes it difficult to work on, even though the A320 isn't even close to being the world's largest aircraft (which is also built by Airbus).
Scaffolding and lifts surround the incomplete plane so that workers can reach every inch of the exterior.
Safety is paramount, and the neon colored walkways stand in contrast to the unpainted plane's whiteness.
One plane costs about $97 million, so not a single piece is left to chance.
Here's what the A320's engine looks like before being lifted and connected to the wing. A320 customers can choose from a host of engines from CFM International and International Aero Engines.
Workers have to crouch inside the eventual baggage hold to install everything from insulation, to electronics and communications equipment.
This winglet has already been painted with Air China's logo. Chinese airlines have grown considerably in the past decade and continue to do so.
The Airbus A320 was the first commercial aircraft to incorporate digital fly-by-wire technology into the the plane’s controls. Now this technology is seemingly ubiquitous in cockpits.
All Airbus planes share a very similar cockpit; this "commonality" allows pilots to easily switch between Airbus planes.
Once everything is complete, the plane gets a thorough, inch-by-inch inspection.
So far, the Tianjin plant has produced more than 200 A320s. This aircraft will be shuttling Air China flyers around the world soon.
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