The cabin of C919, China's first large domestically produced passenger jet, is shown at Zhuhai aviation exhibition, Guangdong Province, Nov 15, 2010. (SINA English/cfp)
The cockpit of C919, China's first large domestically produced passenger jet, is shown at Zhuhai aviation exhibition, Guangdong Province, Nov 15, 2010. (SINA English/cfp)
The C919, China's first large domestically produced passenger jet, is shown at Zhuhai aviation exhibition, Guangdong Province, Nov 15, 2010. (SINA English/cfp)
BEIJING, November 16 - China has unveiled its first large domestically produced passenger jet, which aims to compete with Airbus and Boeing in the global aviation market, state media reported Tuesday.
The C919 prototype made its debut at an aviation exhibition in the southern province of Guangdong, and three major state-owned airlines were due to sign deals to buy the planes on Tuesday, the official China Daily said.
The report did not disclose the names of the customers, but China's three main state-owned carriers are Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern.
The aircraft will take to the air at the show being held in the city of Zhuhai, it said.
Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the plane's manufacturer, has forecast demand for C919s in the domestic and overseas markets to hit 2,000, the report quoted COMAC vice president Wu Guanghui as saying.
The single-aisle jet, which seats between 168 and 190 passengers, is due to make a trial flight in 2014 and be delivered to clients in 2016. It is seen as a potential competitor to the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737.
It is part of China's plan to break the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing in the production of large commercial aircraft, and could dampen prospects for the two industry giants in what will soon become the world's biggest aviation market.
Air traffic in China, which has doubled in the past decade, is again expected to double by 2020, with the number of airports growing from 160 to 240, according to forecasts drawn up by Airbus.
The head of China's civil aviation administration said last month that the country would have up to 5,000 aircraft to transport passengers and cargo by 2015, state media reported.
(Agencies)
If China COMAC plays her card well - she may be on the way to create a deserving competitor to both BOEING and AIRBUS.
ReplyDeleteReasons:-
1) Boeing & Airbus will not launched a totally new plane on that category prior to 2020 or even 2025
2) Boeing 737 is based on 70's technology whereas Airbus 320 family is in the 80's. COMAC is in the late 2000 technology. Surely in the last 30 years or so, and with the help of super-computer, metal metallurgy, composite material and aviation technology., COMAC is able to come up with one that is "head and shoulder" above both AIRBUS and BOEING
3) What's more that COMAC had the backing from the Chinese central government as well as the sufficient financial muscle.
4) All the suppliers and contractors seemed to be credible and authoritative in their respective field including the "state-of-the-art' LEAP-X engine.
5) substantial saving in operating costs, safety and comfort together with lower initial costs to purchase plane and easy and lower-cost maintenance vis-a-vis similar plane would resulted COMAC 919 to come out as a winner
6) Certification by American FAA and their European similar body are also vital
7) Easy financing may be a carrot but the abovesaid are more important.
8) Further, easy upgradability and integration of existing and future aviation stuffs is also seemed important.