The first Airbus A320 plane assembled in China's northern city of Tianjin took off at 10:45 AM on Monday for a test flight, from the Tianjin Binhai International Airport.

The plane is due to be delivered to the domestic Sichuan Airlines by the end of June, said Jean Luc Charles, General Manager of the Airbus (Tianjin) Final Assembly Company Ltd.

The test flight will take four hours.

The Tianjin-based assembly company is expected to deliver a total of 11 A320 aircraft this year. Starting from 2011, the company will be able to produce 48 A320 planes every year, said Jean Luc Charles.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2009)