Chinese aircraft maker driving breakthroughs in cutting-edge tech

Shanghai-based Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) netted a group of new orders for domestically developed aircraft during the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, signifying that China-built aircraft have entered a stage of large scale industrialization and commercialization.

The exhibition, also known as the Zhuhai Airshow, began on Tuesday and will run through Sunday. This year, 1,022 exhibiting companies from 47 countries and regions gathered in Zhuhai, with the scale reaching a new high.

State-owned carrier Air China is expected to become the world's first carrier to use the widebody aircraft C929, after the airline signed a framework agreement with COMAC during the airshow.

The C929 jet, with 280 seats and a flying range of up to 12,000 kilometers, is currently in its preliminary design stage.

Meanwhile, Haikou-based conglomerate HNA Group signed deals with COMAC to purchase 60 single-aisle C919 aircraft and 40 C909 regional jets.

C909 represents a newly added name for domestically developed regional jetliner ARJ21, COMAC announced.

With more domestically developed jets entering commercial operations, unifying aircraft product names will help further enhance product recognition and brand influence, the company said.

At COMAC's booth at the airshow, in addition to the C919 and C929 models, the manufacturer also showcased multiple models with C909 logos, including its basic model, and models for medical, firefighting, cargo, emergency rescue and business purposes.

"The newly added name of the C909 indicates that COMAC attaches significant importance to regional aircraft and emphasizes the serialization of aircraft models. The service support system of a series of aircraft products, including the maintenance system, can be further integrated and improved," said Lin Zhijie, a civil aviation industry analyst.

Lin said that the C919 aircraft has been increasingly put into large-scale and market-oriented operations, and has provided carriers a third option other than Boeing and Airbus.

"More importantly, as a leader of high-end manufacturing, the development of the C919 has driven breakthroughs for a group of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies in China," he said.

Colorful Guizhou Airlines, the only local carrier in Guizhou province, signed 30 C909 orders with COMAC, including 20 confirmed orders and 10 intentional orders. The introduction of the C909 aircraft will significantly enhance the fleet size and market competitiveness of the airline, it said.

In addition, COMAC signed deals with Canadian Aviation Electronics (CAE), a manufacturer of simulators, to purchase four simulators for the C919 and four for the C909.

After the deliveries, the flight simulators will be used to carry out corresponding training services to meet a growing demand for pilot training, COMAC said.

At the airshow, COMAC also signed an agreement with Hong Kong Polytechnic University to jointly build a large-aircraft research institute. With disciplinary advantages of the university and Hong Kong's technological innovation resources, the institute will focus on key tasks such as exploring future technologies.

Over the next 20 years, China is expected to become the world's largest civil aviation market with demand for 9,323 new commercial airplanes. The annual growth rate of passenger turnover is foreseen to reach 5.3 percent, COMAC projected on Tuesday.