Lower-weight A330 targeted at China, with its high dependence on widebody aircraft for trunk routes

The tremendous growth of the domestic Chinese aviation market over the last decade is strongly tied to the increasing use of widebody aircraft. The country's largest route, Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao, has grown 53% in frequencies from 2003 to 2013. And widebody aircraft have grown disproportionately higher: in 2003 widebodies flew 47% of Beijing-Shanghai frequencies; in 2013 they fly 76% of frequencies between the country's two main cities.

While carriers operate a number of widebodies on domestic routes, it is the A330 that captures attention. The twin-engined aircraft was not even in service in China in 2003 but in 2013 the A330 flies 53% of all Beijing-Shanghai frequencies. So it is not surprising Airbus chose a Chinese event to announce its lower-weight A330, pitched for regional and domestic operations. Widebody aircraft on trunk routes deliver not just cost efficiencies but permit capacity growth in restricted airspace. Widebodies are so key that some domestic Chinese route authorities are awarded only if an airline plans to use a widebody.