Airbus China has called on its partners, suppliers and other key players in the aviation industry in China to share its vision to jointly build a green aviation industry. While this is not a PR exercise it is very much preaching to the converted for the aviation industry, in a sense, has led the field in this area. Still a further declaration of intent will do no harm.

Rainer Ohler, Airbus senior vice president for public affairs and communications (think of him as the Airbus PR), addressing the China Eco-efficiency Conference, said a green industry must be the vision for the future of aviation. He said this will be conducive to the long-term and sustainable growth of the industry and China’s economy.

Rainer Ohler said, ‘There is not one simple solution but cross-industry and international cooperation are the way forward.’

Airbus is preparing to meet the ISO 14001 environment management systems in Airbus China soon. Airbus China has also been awarded a prize by the government of Beijing’s Shunyi district for its achievements in water saving in 2007.

Feng Yan, an official with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said, ‘We fully support Airbus’ efforts and encourage Chinese aviation enterprises to contribute to an eco-efficient aviation industry.’

China has set goals of reducing energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 20%, and cutting total emissions of major pollutants by 10% by 2010.

This is not an impossible target to reach and, indeed, in some areas of the aviation industry has been met year after year from more than a decade.

Source: People’s Daily Online

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

Starting at the end of this month Air China will have a new non-stop service from Shanghai to Milan. In Milan you can get some of the world’s finest tailoring and view great architecture like Il Duomo as shown in our illustration.

The new service will operate on an Airbus 340 with newly built premium-cabin services, ‘Forbidden Pavilion’ as First Class and ‘Capital Pavilion’ for Business Class. There will be four flights a week both arriving at their destinations quite early in the morning.

Mrs. Zhang Lan, Senior Vice President of Air China, said, ‘The new connection will fly more passengers between Shanghai, the most modern city in Eastern China, and Milan, the famous fashion city in Italy. It will also create many growth potentials and open up a channel for traveling and trading. The upgraded premium-cabin service on the Airbus 340 integrated the typical Chinese elements — “Forbidden City” and “Capital City” — have spacious seats, various on-board entertainments and catering, aiming to bring a superior on-board experience for European passengers.’

Currently, Air China is one of the most frequent airlines on Sino-Europe routes, flying up to 14 flights per week from Beijing or Shanghai to Milan or Rome. Air China’s strategic cooperation with some Italian airlines such as Alitalia and Air One gives connections through the partner airlines to other Italian cities.

At the same time Air China is going to increase the frequency on the Beijing-Paris route and provide two flights every day during peak times. The updated service will take care of the extra flow of passengers in the summer.

Air China’s fleet is now more than somewhat impressive:

213 Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
230 routes within 28 countries and regions.
71 domestic cities and 43 overseas cities.
5,000 flights and 900,000 seats every week.
Code-sharing alliance with 20 airlines globally.
Source: Air China

There is a clear understanding in Beijing that the best way for China to achieve its ambition in civil aviation — namely to build its own fleet of commercial craft — is to work in partnership with Airbus and Boeing, rather than flying solo or partnering with Russian companies.

Beijing has employed this strategy over the last 20 years or so, working with both Airbus and Boeing to produce components and sub-assemblies as a first step on the long road to manufacturing its own indigenous aircraft.

According to Boeing’s forecast, China will demand many more aircraft over the coming 20 years than Boeing had initially expected in 2006. Boeing predicts that between 2007 and 2026, China will purchase 3,400 new aircraft worth US$340 billion, while Rolls-Royce foresees a demand for 3,100 aircraft over the same period.

As a result, domestic demand on the Chinese aviation industry to excel and deliver domestically built aircraft will only increase. In conjunction with the development of commercial carriers and civil helicopters, skills in the Chinese aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector are rising rapidly.

AVIC I’s Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory operation, which is responsible for the final assembly of the ARJ21 civil craft, will become part of a listed company, AVIC I Commercial Aircraft Corporation (ACAC), whose shares will be sold in China and on foreign stock exchanges.

The operation of Xian Aircraft Industry Corporation will be reorganized as a listed business that will later become the core of a civil manufacturing group encompassing the civil facilities at the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation and Shenyang Aircraft Industry Corporation.

The author of this long and detailed article is Dr Eugene Kogan who is a guest researcher at the Research Institute of the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. He is a defense industry analyst with expertise on Russia, Eastern Europe, Israel and China.

The full article first appeared in The Jamestown Foundation and is used by Asia Times with permission. To read the quite extensive and very clearly written piece click on Source. It forecasts a seriously important growth period for the China aviation construction industry.
Source: Asia Times

Boeing and Airbus need to seriously look at their planning systems. Compared to those of China they are very definitely third world.

Both are suffering the sort of delays which will make their major customers — think China — that it is quicker and better and cheaper to build the damn thing themselves.

Boeing has said the inaugural flight of its much-anticipated B787 would be delayed by up to three months to the end of the second quarter due to supply chain problems and slow progress on the assembly line.

The delay means Boeing will not be able to start delivering the plane until early 2009, rather than late 2008.

This is the third time Boeing has announced delays for the hot-selling airplane. Which makes is look like a very silly billy.

Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a statement, ‘The fundamental design and technologies of the 787 remain sound. However, we continue to be challenged by start-up issues in our factory and in our extended global supply chain.’

In other words we cannot make it on time. Perhaps a new approach is needed?

The B787, also called the Dreamliner, has been the most successful new jet launch in history with 817 orders, including 60 from five Chinese airlines — Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Shanghai Airlines.

Boeing China yesterday declined to say when China would receive its first B787 after the latest delay. Certainly this century. Almost without a doubt.

Air China was originally scheduled to receive two B787s in 2008, with one delivered in June. The aircraft will be used on its European or US routes. The Chinese flag carrier has ordered 15 B787s.

An unnamed official from the Beijing-based carrier yesterday said the airline was capable of adjusting its fleet to the delay.

Wu Yucun, an aviation analyst with Shenzhen-based Lianhe Securities said, ‘The B787 delay is unlikely to have a big impact on Chinese airlines ‘expansion given the relatively small number. ‘ He was just being kind.

Boeing builds its commercial airplanes in Seattle and has outsourced an unprecedented amount of the B787 program — including design and production — to manufacturers around the world. It wrestles with complex product development in terms of technology and program management.

Airbus’ flagship A380 superjumbo was delayed by nearly two years.

In other industries if these delays occured there would be tears before tea time. ‘We’re sorry your daily paper will not be available until next week but we are having trouble with ink.’
Source: China Daily