With air travel booming, Beijing unveils plan to develop indigenous 150-seater that could fly by end of the decade
China is to make a bold move into large-aircraft manufacturing after the government approved a plan to develop commercial jet aircraft seating at least 150 passengers.
The country's state council, equivalent to the government's Cabinet, approved development proposals at a meeting on 26 February presided over by premier Wen Jiabao.
According to official media reports, an executive committee of the state council "approved in principle the plan to develop the new aircraft, which is set to begin as soon as possible".
The reports added: "Developing its own large aircraft is a priority of China's longer-term scientific and technological development strategy According to the meeting, after more than five decades of development China's aviation industry is ready to develop larger aircraft. The programme will enhance China's overall international competitiveness and help transform the nation's economic growth pattern."
The aircraft will "compete with Airbus and Boeing", reports say, adding that "while mainly relying on China's own resources and efforts, international co-operation will be also actively sought".
China's government has over the past three years been considering the possibility of developing large commercial aircraft in the country and the state council executive committee approved the development proposals after considering detailed feasibility studies.
It is not clear which of its state-run manufacturing groups, China Aviation Industry I (AVIC I) or China Aviation Industry II (AVIC II), will oversee the ambitious project. A timeline for development has not been revealed, but some reports suggested a prototype could be flying by the end of 2010.
China has long sought to build large commercial aircraft in the country, where air travel is growing rapidly to the benefit of Western companies, including Airbus and Boeing. According to Flight's ACAS database, between them the two have around 640 aircraft on order from Chinese customers, including 530 narrowbodies.
Airbus is establishing a Chinese final assembly line for A320-family aircraft through a joint venture with local manufacturers and since 2003 Embraer ERJ-145s have been assembled in China through a similar arrangement.
In the 1990s Chinese manufacturers assembled MD-90s as part of a now-defunct deal with the former McDonnell Douglas, although today AVIC I and AVIC II units keep busy primarily by building parts for Airbus, Boeing and engine manufacturers.
AVIC I is, meanwhile, developing a 90-seat regional jet of its own called the ARJ21, while several types of locally developed turboprop aircraft are being built in China.
Source: Flight International
