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Qatar Tribune
05-08-2025
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
From nose to tail, how China is reshaping the aviation supply chain
Agencies While its home-grown airliners bring China the most attention in the complex, lucrative field of aviation, the country is also making strides in an equally important realm: the many components necessary to ensure the safe, smooth operation of jets and other aircraft. Recent developments in a number of areas show Beijing is continuing to reduce its reliance on foreign parts, close long-standing technological gaps and assert itself as a major player in civil aviation at all levels of the supply chain. We have gathered some of them below. During an interview on state broadcaster CCTV, Zhang Yanzhong of the Chinese Academy of Engineering offered a rare public update on one of the country's most closely watched aviation projects: the CJ-1000A, a domestically produced large commercial jet engine. Designed to power the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) C919 – China's answer to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 narrowbody aircraft – the CJ-1000A is seen as paramount to the country's efforts to limit its reliance on foreign aerospace technology. Zhang said the engine's development is progressing smoothly and remains on schedule. 'All I can say is that our engine is progressing as planned, and the current progress is very positive. As for when it will be installed on Chinese aircraft – just wait for the good news,' he told CCTV. The Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC), the CJ-1000A's developer, has said their product will perform on par with CFM International's LEAP-1C engine, currently installed in C919 models flying commercial routes. A successful roll-out of the Chinese company's engine would represent a major leap forward in the country's campaign for aviation self-sufficiency. In July, Beijing's chief aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), approved the manufacture of SINOPEC AEH I – a domestically developed aviation-grade fire-resistant hydraulic fluid. Manufactured by the China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), it is the first home-grown product of its kind to receive official airworthiness approval. The certification paves the way for its use in civil aviation, and makes China the third country in the world capable of producing this specialised class of phosphate ester-based hydraulic fluid, critical for aircraft safety and performance. On June 5, China's AES100 turboshaft engine received a production licence in Hunan province and signed its first commercial sales contract. The AES100, also produced by AECC, is a 1,000-kilowatt-class advanced turboshaft engine tailored for civil aviation. Its manufacturer has touted its high safety standards, strong fuel efficiency, ease of maintenance and adaptability across various environments. It is designed to power twin-engined and single-engine helicopters as well as tilt-rotor aircraft, typically used for transport, sightseeing, emergency rescue and utility operations. As with the CJ-1000A, mass adoption of the engine would be a major step forward in China's efforts to source its aircraft propulsion systems locally after decades of relying on foreign suppliers. On average, lightning strikes a commercial airliner once a year. While rarely catastrophic, these incidents can pose serious risks, especially as traditional lightning protection systems struggle to keep up with the demands of high-speed, high-altitude flight. At a July 29 showcase at the National Communication Centre for Science and Technology in Beijing, Hefei Aerospace Electro-Physical Technology unveiled a new protection system to guard against this risk. Pan Yuan, also of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the event that lightning protection is critical for guaranteeing flight safety in complex weather. The technical challenge, he noted, lies not only in shielding the aircraft from direct lightning strikes but also in mitigating secondary effects, such as electrical surges that can damage on-board systems. Particularly complex is the protection of fuel systems, where failure could lead to disaster. The new system, if proven effective in commercial application, would grant Chinese-made aircraft a stronger reputation for safety and improve their case for overseas certification, an essential step for the country's jets to enter the global market.
Daily Express
01-08-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Malaysia looks to China's Comac jets over Boeing and Airbus delays
Published on: Friday, August 01, 2025 Published on: Fri, Aug 01, 2025 Text Size: KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke says Southeast Asia's growing air travel demand and delivery backlogs from Airbus and Boeing are sparking regional interest in China's Comac C919 jet. Chinese manufacturer Comac is positioning its C919, the country's first home-grown narrow body airliner, as a cheaper, faster alternative to Western-built aircraft. Loke confirmed that budget carrier AirAsia and new airline Air Borneo are amongst those exploring options with Comac. 'All airlines are looking for faster delivery and more affordable options. There's a long wait for Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Comac is definitely being considered," Loke told the South China Morning Post. He added that AirAsia has expressed interest, but no deals have been finalised and he is not involved in the commercial discussions. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
South China Morning Post
31-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Malaysian airlines interested in China's C919 jet, country's transport minister says
Growing air travel in Southeast Asia and backlogs in Airbus and Boeing deliveries are driving regional interest in China's C919 passenger jet, according to Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke. China is promoting aircraft made by Shanghai-based Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) – including the C919, the country's first home-grown narrowbody airliner – as cheaper alternatives to aircraft manufactured by Airbus and Boeing. Loke told the Post recently that Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia and a new airline, Air Borneo, were among the airlines to have shown interest in the Comac aircraft. All airlines were looking to diversify their procurement of aircraft and were seeking faster delivery and cheaper options, Loke said. 'There is currently a long wait for aircraft delivery from Boeing and Airbus,' he said. 'For sure, Comac is one of the aircraft manufacturers looked at by airlines. 'AirAsia is interested … to look at them but nothing is confirmed. I am not privy to commercial negotiations.'
Nikkei Asia
15-07-2025
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
China's three top airlines still in the red despite sector recovery
Air China and China Southern Airlines receive narrow-bodied C919 aircraft, manufactured by state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, in Shanghai last August. Both carriers, along with China Eastern Airlines, have reported losses for the first half of the year. © AP KENJI KAWASE TOKYO -- China's big three state-owned airlines continued to report net losses for the first half of the year even as regional peers show signs of recovery. While the three carriers cite various factors for their losses, China's top regulator has cautioned that airlines need to address excessive competition among themselves, which has eaten into their earnings.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China wants to challenge Airbus and Boeing and shake up global aviation. Here's what you need to know about its upstart planemaker, Comac.
Comac, China's state-owned planemaker, has huge ambitions to disrupt Boeing and Airbus' hold on aviation. Its main plane, the C919, is a direct competitor to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. While it faces obstacles like tariffs, many industry leaders see Comac as a major threat. For decades, the building of the world's commercial passenger planes has been a duopoly. Get an international flight anywhere in the world, and it's highly likely you'll be on either an Airbus or a Boeing plane. A Chinese upstart planemaker, Comac, wants to disrupt that, and the signs suggest it has a good chance. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury has even said the industry could go "from a duopoly to a potential triopoly." Officially known as the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, the planemaker was only founded in 2008, and has not been without challenges and controversy. But with air travel growing rapidly in China and supply chain problems blighting the aviation industry globally, Comac's rise comes at a perfect time. Eight years after its foundation, Comac's first plane entered commercial service. Initially known as the ARJ21, it was later renamed the C909 to unify the company's branding, a sign of Comac's growing ambitions. Data from Ch-aviation says 145 of these have been delivered to airlines, mostly based in China and a few in Southeast Asia. The plane's chief designer, Chen Yong, told the state news agency Xinhua that 166 are in service. The C909 is a small jet, with a capacity of between 78 and 90 seats. Designed for regional journeys, it's more likely to compete with planes from the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer. Comac's more important aircraft is instead the C919, which is similar to Airbus' A320 family and Boeing's 737. It's another single-aisle aircraft but has a longer range and can carry between 156 and 168 passengers. Due to the huge demand from airlines, these types of jets have been significant cash cows for Airbus and Boeing. While Ch-aviation data indicates just 19 C919s have entered commercial service, that number is expected to grow massively. In 2023, Comac Chairman He Dongfeng said there were 1,061 orders, Xinhua reported. Europe's biggest airline, the Irish budget carrier Ryanair, is also considering buying some. "The Chinese are basically building a fucking A320. So if it was cheap enough — 10% or 20% cheaper than an Airbus aircraft — then we'd order it," CEO Michael O'Leary told travel industry outlet Skift in March. However, Florian Guillermet, executive director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, told French publication L'Usine Nouvelle in May that certification is still three to six years away. Plus, the state-owned planemaker isn't without its controversy. US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, the ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, warned O'Leary not to order the jets, citing allegations of corporate espionage. In February, 66-year-old Liming Li, from California, pleaded guilty to possessing trade secrets he downloaded from his former US employer, which specialized in precision measuring. Court documents say FBI agents saw emails with Comac staff and presentations for the company. Other cases have charged Chinese intelligence officers and hackers with attempting to steal technology about American jet engines, according to the Justice Department. Donald Trump's tariff plan has also posed a significant threat because the C919 heavily relies on American parts. According to analysts at Bank of America, it has 48 suppliers from the US, 26 from Europe, and just 14 from China. "If China stops buying aircraft components from the US, the C919 program is halted or dead," they wrote in an April report. But ongoing negotiations suggest trade tensions are easing. The Air Current and Reuters reported earlier in July that the US government has allowed GE Aerospace to restart vital engine shipments to Comac. Beyond the C919, Comac is already working on three other types of jets. That includes two wide-bodies, the C929 and the C939, and a supersonic airliner, the C949. Meanwhile, the industry is divided over whether Comac will be able to challenge Airbus and Boeing's dominance. "Comac is years away from being certified outside China … It's going to be a very limited market for quite some time," John Schmidt, Accenture's global aerospace and defense lead, told Business Insider in an interview at last month's Paris Air Show. Alternatively, Airbus CEO Faury said in February that Comac was more likely to succeed thanks to its "privileged access" to the Chinese market, which accounts for a fifth of global aircraft demand. Guillermet told L'Usine Nouvelle that Comac was putting considerable resources into Europe's certification process. "I have no doubt that it will succeed," he added. Read the original article on Business Insider
