Chinese Aviation Industry

AVIC Hongdu has entered into a deal to supply the China National Aero Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) with 12 L-15 advanced jet trainers, with the type's first international sale to be announced in 2013.

The agreement with CATIC represents the first sale of the type, which China is pitching on the international market. The agreement between the two parties, which are both owned by the Chinese government, was signed at Airshow China in Zhuhai.

CATIC president Ma Zhiping says the first sale of the L-15 will be announced next year. Neither the export agency or company representatives were willing to disclose the customer, or to confirm whether the 12 contracted aircraft will eventually be delivered to this end-user.

AVIC Hongdu says it has started "limited batch production" of the L-15, with the first dozen aircraft to be completed by the end of 2013.

Separately, AVIC says it will develop a new powerplant for the L-15 called the Minshan. The twin-engined type is now powered by a Ukrainian powerplant. According to AVIC, the Minshan is a twin-spool turbofan with an afterburner.

"Now that main component performance tests have been accomplished with satisfying results that could meet the requirements of engine design targets, it will be ready for delivery in a few years," it says.

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Fifty orders for C919 aircraft have been signed at the ongoing China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, indicating that China's first domestic large passenger aircraft is expanding its market reach amid tough overseas competition.

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC), the aircraft's manufacturer, inked deals on Tuesday with a GE subsidiary and two Chinese companies at the aviation show, according to COMAC general manager He Dongfeng.

The exhibition is scheduled to run from Nov. 13 to 18 in the city of Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong Province

He said GE Capital Aviation Service (GECAS) will purchase 10 of the planes, while two local airline operators, Hebei Airlines and Joy Air, will buy 20 units each.

The company has thus far secured orders for 380 C919 aircraft from 15 customers, He said.

COMAC also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Eastern Air Lines for future sales of the aircraft to the U.S. airline, according to He.

"The signing of the new orders and MOU indicates that the C919 has once again won recognition in both domestic and overseas markets," He said.

Mark Hutchinson, president and chief executive officer of GE China, said he was excited about the deal, as GE is heavily involved in the manufacturing of the C919 as an engine and avionics supplier.

"We signed the contract to demonstrate our support for the COMAC," Hutchinson said, adding that the C919 aircraft will supplement the company's fleet of about 2,000 aircraft.

Wu Guanghui, chief designer of the C919, said future global and domestic markets will have a strong appetite for civil aircraft like the C919.

Also on Tuesday, Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS and a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC) inaugurated a joint venture that will supply undercarriages for the C919.

Francis Niss, president of Liebherr-Aerospace, said China's large population has given it dynamic growth in the global air traffic market.

"The Chinese industry is already part of the global supply chain of Western aircraft manufacturers. With the C919, China has reached another milestone in its development to become one of the leading aerospace nations in the world," Niss said.

He said Liebherr-Aerospace hopes to play an important role in the further development of China's aerospace industry.

With the C919 program, Niss said Liebherr-Aerospace has built a strong base for long-lasting participation in the Chinese market.

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Lion said:

But the most serious thing is the crack found on AR-21J. Surely that is fault of COMAC. It caused a massive redesign and delay of it. I agree this AR-21J is crapped. The problem does not lies in large pool of fresh graduate. But COMAC too obsessed of linking their product with western influence. Thinking it will sell better and more marketable.

The biggest advantage of Chinese commercial aviation industries lies in domestic market. The plane just need to capture the domestic market will be a success. It just need to prove itself in domestic market will do.

Just like how Chinese rocket prove the doubter since the mishap in 1996. Chinese now manage to capture a significant amount of global launching. It need not go international.

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Lion said:

The biggest advantage of Chinese commercial aviation industries lies in domestic market. The plane just need to capture the domestic market will be a success. It just need to prove itself in domestic market will do.

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On Dec. 17, AVIC Xi'an Aircraft International Corporation (XAIC) inked an agreement with the Ministry of Transport of Yemen for six MA Family aircraft and delivered two MA600 Freighters in accordance with the agreement.

With the new order, Yemen has become the first customer of MA600 Freighter made by XAIC. It is also the MA Family aircraft's first export to the Middle East market, providing new chance for China and Yemen to strengthen economic exchanges.

It is understood that the first two MA600 Freighters will be operated by Felix Airways (FO), an airline partly held by the Yemeni government, to export the country's abundant sea food and agricultural products to the rest of the world. Felix Airways is the second largest airline in the country, and also the launch customer of MA600 Freighter in the region.

At the signing ceremony, Yemen's Transport Minister Waed Abdullah Bathib said, Yemen and China have a long history of traditional friendship and will enhance their cooperation in the future. He expects XAIC to build an aircraft spare parts center in Aden to provide support for the operation of the MA Family aircraft, and hope XAIC will establish connections with other countries in the Middle East as well.

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i.e. said:

I whole heartly disagree with what you said. in its entirety. no offense.

the most serious thing is not wing cracks. alot of programs had structural issues after intial rounds of static tests. its not un common.

the most serious thing is they can not configuration control what they flown so they can not reasonablly show the authority the flight test results for credit.

rocket is totally different analogy. can not compare with commercial flight. they expect certain percentage of their payload to get lost. those percentages are covered under insurance plan. you can not do thawt with an airplane.

domestic market or not, with out international support the chinese civil aviation industry will not be successful... the flying public will ride on airplanes that are percieved to be not safe.

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Pointblank said:

And it is compounded by distrust of Chinese suppliers in supplying major fuselage components for Western aircraft; take the Bombardier C-Series; Bombardier has already repatriated the mid-fuselage work for the CSeries from SAC Commercial Aircraft to its plant in Belfast, a move it said was necessary to meet the demands of its program.

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