China told Boeing and Airbus last night to brace for its entry as a manufacturer of large commercial aircraft.
Some international aerospace analysts voiced skepticism, however, and a Chinese aviation insider pointed to the huge technical and commercial challenges ahead.
The decision to forge ahead with the “glorious, historical mission” of building a large aircraft capable of carrying more than 150 passengers was made February 26 but announced overnight.
“Our country has been developing the aviation industry for 50 years and already has the technical and material base to develop large aircraft,” a government statement said.
China’s steady economic growth makes it perhaps the most sought-after market in the world. It has about 1100 jetliners in its commercial fleets and is expected to buy about 1600 aircraft between now and 2020, valued at up to $180 billion, as it becomes the world’s second-largest airliner market.
State-run aircraft manufacturers eager to obtain a share of the market are seeking favorable tax treatment and loans, and they’ve called on the government to lean on domestic airlines to purchase homegrown planes.
“The government should give preference to domestically produced large civilian aircraft in its procurement,” said Liu Daxiang, a vice chairman of China Aviation Industry Corp I, one of two state aircraft makers.
According to Mr Liu, large Chinese aircraft may take to the skies by 2020.
The announcement China is launching an assault on Chicago-based Boeing, the largest US exporter, is likely to irk policymakers in Washington who are already irritated by a yawning trade imbalance between the two nations.
Doug McVitie, a director of Arran Aerospace, a consultancy in Dinan, France, said he doubted Chinese aircraft quality would approach that of Boeing or Airbus SA, a unit of European aerospace group EADS, by 2020.
“The airline industry is not one where you buy cheap. You go for quality,” said Mr McVitie, who had spent months in China in recent years examining its aviation industry.
Even a Chinese aviation insider said the two domestic aircraft makers would face hurdles in selling a Chinese-made aircraft overseas.
“China’s large-scale civilian aircraft must be as good as the existing Boeing and Airbus aircrafts in terms of safety, reliability and comfort. Otherwise, it is impossible to find a place in the market,” Cui Degang, vice chairman of science and technology for China Aviation Industry Corp II, told the Beijing Business News newspaper.
By: Bmused55 - 21st March 2007 at 07:05
I have been enlightened 🙂
By: GoldenDragon - 21st March 2007 at 05:11
The Y-10 carried up to 180 passengers. The plane first flew on September 26, 1980. It made 130 flights and visited Beijing, Urumqi, Harbin, Zhengzhou, Hefei, Guangzhou, Kunming, and Chengdu. It also flew seven times high and hot to Lhasa in Tibet which is pretty good for any 180 passenger airliner in 1980 much less one made by China at the time.
This thing flew and flew well.
What killed was two things, both of which was political.
1. The project was initiated by one of the Gang of Four.
2. In the late 1970s, China was embarking on a full embrace of the West and the Chinese airlines wanted Western jets pure and simple. Most significantly, McDonnell Douglas had begun its partnership with China to build the MD-80.
Considering the time period (barely out of the Cultural Revolution), the Y-10 was no mean achievement.
This time around, there would be full political support. I wouldn’t bet against it. It would at least capture part of the Chinese market which is the main intent anyways.
Obviously, a Chinese airliner won’t be able to compete overseas with Boeing or Airbus (unless the A380 is an unmitigated disaster.)
By: Whiskey Delta - 21st March 2007 at 03:25
China is building A320s for Airbus now i thought?
I know they are building the EMB-145.
By: KabirT - 20th March 2007 at 11:37
Starting straight away with a 150 seater seems like an over-ambitious shot, but then again i wont be surprised if they succeed in doing it. It would have to battle hard to break the current monopoly though.
By: andrewm - 20th March 2007 at 10:42
China is building A320s for Airbus now i thought?
I would have thought it was easier with their labour for Airbus and Boeing to subcontract production to the cheapest bidder who can guarentee the quality of the airframes?
By: Multirole - 20th March 2007 at 07:44
Sandy,
Yes they copied a 707 but it just never managed to get airborne:eek:
The Shanghai Y-10 made over a hundred flights. It was cancelled because Boeing jets were almost as cheap and had the track record the Chinese airlines wanted.
I cant see this having a major effect on either Boeing or Airbus, , who would buy the aircraft for starters? it might be cheap , but what about quality?
You dont have to look far to see that most major airlines look towards western manufactured aircraft , didnt the Russian construct the TU204 , to take on the B757 and look how many of these are in service for a western airline
But I do see the Chineses Authorities forcing their Airlines to use this aircraft, and ditching western airliners
Don’t be rediculous. Boeing and now Airbus all source aircraft parts from China. The new Chinese jet will also use American avionics. Aircraft manufacturing is a globalized affair.
China will need to buy 3,500 airliners in the next 8 years. Boeing and Airbus will be taking all the orders they can handle. China’s domestic aviation industry will also be getting in the gold rush.
By: kevinwm - 20th March 2007 at 07:09
Sandy,
Yes they copied a 707 but it just never managed to get airborne:eek:
I cant see this having a major effect on either Boeing or Airbus, , who would buy the aircraft for starters? it might be cheap , but what about quality?
You dont have to look far to see that most major airlines look towards western manufactured aircraft , didnt the Russian construct the TU204 , to take on the B757 and look how many of these are in service for a western airline
But I do see the Chineses Authorities forcing their Airlines to use this aircraft, and ditching western airliners
By: Grey Area - 20th March 2007 at 05:30
I don’t think China would risk triggering an out-and-out trade war with either the USA or the EU any time soon, so I think we can discount any blatant “copies”.
Besides, any nation that can put a man into space can probably build an airliner too.
It’s not exactly rocket science, is it? :diablo:
By: Distiller - 20th March 2007 at 04:51
I bet they’ll copy the A330. Just a feeling.
By: Bmused55 - 20th March 2007 at 03:24
Well, I supose there are enough Boeings and Airbus owned by the Chinese state for them to be able to reverse engineer them now.
Didn’t they do that with the 707 and fail miserably?
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March 20, 2007 at 3:05 am