Boeing is "exploring" new joint ventures in China as part of efforts to maintain its dominant share of the nation's manufactured airliner fleet, as well as to support its growing commercial workload build-up.
Boeing is now negotiating increased work content with continuing contracts at Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) which produces doors for several Boeing models and empennages for the 737. "Some of this is obviously driven by the production rate increases that we are seeing at Boeing, but additional work is being negotiated, including parts for the next- generation 737-600/700 and -800," says Dick James, vice-president business development at Boeing Commercial Airplane Group.
"We're also exploring some co-operation through new joint ventures, although we weren't so successful with the 100-seater [AE-100]," he adds.
Details of the proposed new joint ventures were not revealed, although it is believed that they include work on the 767-400ERX and 777-200X/300X programmes.
- International Aero Engines (IAE) says that China will form the bulk of an Asian market estimated to require up to 784 aircraft in the 150-seat category between 1997 and 2015. The region is expected to need 400 aircraft of around 200 seats over the same period. "It's a massive potential market," says IAE.
Source: Flight International
