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China to develop large commercial aircraft by 2020
BEIJING: China expects to start making large commercial aircraft developed domestically by 2020, an aviation industry official said Monday, raising the possibility of competition for Boeing and Airbus in the country's booming market for new planes.
The ambitious target reflects rising confidence among officials and in the government-funded aircraft industry following China's apparent success in developing its first commercial jet aircraft, the midsize ARJ-21 regional jet, the first of which is due to fly next year.
With China expected to buy 2,230 new planes between now and 2025, the government has fast-tracked development plans to ensure that its own companies grab a share.
The large-aircraft project is underpinned by strong Chinese economic growth, technological advances and a brawny manufacturing base, Liu Daxiang, of China Aviation Industry Corporation I, or AVIC I, was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua press agency.
"We are now fairly well conditioned for making large aircraft," said Liu, deputy head of the company's science and technology development department, and a delegate to the national legislature meeting this month in Beijing.
Chinese aviation ambitions have stumbled along for decades, but experts said the latest plan appeared to be plausible given the technological prowess China has gained from building parts for foreign makers. An agreement with Airbus to open a final assembly line in China for its midsize A320 aircraft will be particularly advantageous, they said.
"From a technical standpoint, it is realistic," said Richard Pinkham, an analyst with the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation in Singapore.
Liu said that a large-aircraft program would create new technological advances and secondary industries. He gave no precise details about the size of the plane, although large aircraft are generally considered to have about 200 seats and a capacity of 100 tons.
China wants to complete designs for a large aircraft by 2010; it has also proposed making its own aircraft engines.
Boeing reports new orders
Boeing, the commercial airplane manufacturer, said Monday that it had won orders for passenger and cargo jets including 17 of its 787 Dreamliners in three separate transactions valued at a total of about $4.6 billion, Bloomberg reported from Washington.
Boeing received a $2.26 billion order from Aviation Lease & Finance, which is based in Kuwait, for 18 jets including 12 Dreamliners. Boeing also signed a contract to deliver as many as 10 of its 747s to Volga-Dnepr, a Russian cargo carrier, while Continental Airlines ordered five additional 787-9 jets.
With the new commitments, Boeing has 475 firm orders for the 787.
BEIJING: China expects to start making large commercial aircraft developed domestically by 2020, an aviation industry official said Monday, raising the possibility of competition for Boeing and Airbus in the country's booming market for new planes.
The ambitious target reflects rising confidence among officials and in the government-funded aircraft industry following China's apparent success in developing its first commercial jet aircraft, the midsize ARJ-21 regional jet, the first of which is due to fly next year.
With China expected to buy 2,230 new planes between now and 2025, the government has fast-tracked development plans to ensure that its own companies grab a share.
The large-aircraft project is underpinned by strong Chinese economic growth, technological advances and a brawny manufacturing base, Liu Daxiang, of China Aviation Industry Corporation I, or AVIC I, was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua press agency.
"We are now fairly well conditioned for making large aircraft," said Liu, deputy head of the company's science and technology development department, and a delegate to the national legislature meeting this month in Beijing.
Chinese aviation ambitions have stumbled along for decades, but experts said the latest plan appeared to be plausible given the technological prowess China has gained from building parts for foreign makers. An agreement with Airbus to open a final assembly line in China for its midsize A320 aircraft will be particularly advantageous, they said.
"From a technical standpoint, it is realistic," said Richard Pinkham, an analyst with the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation in Singapore.
Liu said that a large-aircraft program would create new technological advances and secondary industries. He gave no precise details about the size of the plane, although large aircraft are generally considered to have about 200 seats and a capacity of 100 tons.
China wants to complete designs for a large aircraft by 2010; it has also proposed making its own aircraft engines.
Boeing reports new orders
Boeing, the commercial airplane manufacturer, said Monday that it had won orders for passenger and cargo jets including 17 of its 787 Dreamliners in three separate transactions valued at a total of about $4.6 billion, Bloomberg reported from Washington.
Boeing received a $2.26 billion order from Aviation Lease & Finance, which is based in Kuwait, for 18 jets including 12 Dreamliners. Boeing also signed a contract to deliver as many as 10 of its 747s to Volga-Dnepr, a Russian cargo carrier, while Continental Airlines ordered five additional 787-9 jets.
With the new commitments, Boeing has 475 firm orders for the 787.
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