[photopress:air_ARJ21.jpg,full,alignright]The Chinese government has officially approved the launch of China Commercial Aircrafts, which will manufacture large passenger planes. The plan is to have jets designed and built in China rolling off an assembly line by 2020.
Asian airlines are expected to buy nearly 10,000 new planes by 2025, with more than 2,200 of those going to Chinese airlines.
China has acquired the needed technical expertise by cooperating with Boeing and Airbus. China Aviation Industries Corporation (AVIC-I) produces components for Boeing’s 747 and 787 wide-bodies and operates a final assembly line for the Airbus A320.
China has already received more than 100 0rders for the 70-passenger regional jet ARJ21 and will set up a sales subsidiary for the ARJ21 in the United States.
True, Chinese aircraft must meet the Department of Transportation’s stringent safety criteria before they’ll be allowed to fly in the United States, and there is some question as to how long it will take China to meet these standards although every manufacturer in the world has had to go through this process and, although lengthy, it can be done.
The biggest problem remaining is the issue of consumer perception.
Chinese airlines are still well below world standard in running their airlines, mo matter who the manufacturer. Worldwide there would be resistance, initially at least, from passengers who simply would not wish to fly on an aircraft built in China in exactly the same way such resistance exists against aircraft built in Russia.
Source: Wired