Russian MS-21

Alexei Fyodorov, the CEO of the United Aircraft Building Corporation, said at the Farnborough-2008 air show in Britain that Russia may launch a joint venture with China to further develop a new passenger airliner, MS-21.

He said, ‘We will come to a decision with Chinese manufacturers next year on the possibility of setting up a joint venture to design a new mid-range passenger aircraft, MS-21.’

The MS-21 plane is being developed by Russia’s major manufacturing companies — Ilyushin, Tupolev and Yakovlev — to replace the aging Tu-154, which currently services some 80% of Russia’s passenger and freight traffic, and also the Airbus A-320 and Boeing 737 aircraft.

The new passenger jet, due to enter service in 2012, is expected to be 10-15% more efficient than the equivalent Boeing or Airbus. However, its target price will be just $35 million, $20 million below that of the similarly-sized Boeing 737-700.

The single-aisle MS-21 family of passenger aircraft is designed to seat between 150 and 220 passengers.
Source: Defense-Technology News

Beijing airport security

Beijing Capital International Airport is seeing record flights and passenger numbers during this Olympic month.

However, before anybody dances in the streets from this new record activity, BCIA needs to come to terms with the sharp decline in airport business during the first half year operation in 2008.

On July 31, ten days before the Olympics, BCIA issued a profit warning for its 2008 interim results on falling demand and rising costs.

Net profits for the six months of 2008, may fall significantly from the RMB567 million ($83.4 million) in the first half of 2007.

From August 2007 to March 2008, out of security concern for the Olympic Games, CAAC imposed limitation on flight throughput of the airport, from
1,100 flights per day to 1,000 flights, resulting in a less than expected passenger volume.

Meanwhile, the introduction of the Third Terminal drove operating costs upward.

For the second half of 2008 better performance is projected compared to the
same period last year as the limitations on flight throughput are lifted.
Source: Air Cargo News

Airbus A320

A Chinese official in north China’s port city Tianjin said China has advantages in producing Airbus 320 planes which are being assembled from this month

Gou Lijun, director of the Administrative Committee of Tianjin’s Binhai New Area, said, ‘The market for China-made large-scale planes is China itself and the neighboring countries. Secondly, the A320 planes produced in China have the same quality standard as Europe.’

The A320 final assembly line, in the Binhai New Area, is run by a joint venture established in June last year between European aircraft maker Airbus and Tianjin Zhongtian Aviation Industry, a Chinese alliance of China Aviation Industry Corp I, China Aviation Industry Corp II and Tianjin Bonded Zone Investment. The first plane will be finally assembled this month.

It is intended the joint venture will produce 44 planes annually by 2011. By 2016 the total of assembled aircraft should be 284.

At the same time, China itself is also developing large-scale planes. Earlier this year saw the establishment of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, a company dedicated to the development of large-scale aircraft defined as planes that will carry 200 passengers.
Source: Xinhua

CEA to handle business jets

Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines (CEA) wll launch a business aviation service company that will, among other services, provide ground handling and maintenance for private and charter flights.

The carrier said the new venture will be a wholly-owned subsidiary and will receive an investment of RMB50 million ($7.3 million).

CEA said for the time being it had no plans for the purchase of business aircraft but could look at the possibility of reconfiguring some of its existing aircraft.

It also said it was in negotiations with an American company that may place its four business jets in Shanghai early next year.

CEA launched a business jet division in 1995 which commands a 95% market share in Shanghai.
Source: domain-b.com

97 new airports will be built in China before 2020 including a second international airport in Beijing.

All of this is listed in the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) latest airport development plan.

According to the plan, which covers the years up to 2020, the number of airports nationwide will increase to 192 by 2010, and to 244 by 2020.

At the end of 2006, there were 147, including 45 used for both civilian and military purposes.

This means 82 in every 100 people — who contribute 96% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) — will live within 100 km, or 90 minutes’ drive, from an airport by 2020.

At present, only 61% of people —  who contribute 82% of GDP —  live within this range.

The CAAC said the new airports will cost an estimated total of RMB450 billion ($64 billion).

The CAAC predicts passenger traffic will grow by 11.4% annually from now until 2020, during which time freight traffic will increase by 14% a year. More on this HERE.
Source: English People’s Daily Online