China to make own jumbo jets by 2020

Source: CCTV.com | 03-13-2007 15:04

China expects to produce its own large commercial aircraft by 2020. As competition heats up, this raises the possibility of future competition for Boeing and Airbus in the booming aviation market.

Chinese aviation officials say the large aircraft project is underpinned by China's strong economic growth. This, as well as technology advances and a strong manufacturing base. They say such a project would spawn new technological improvement and secondary industries.

Aviation officials hope government regulations relating to the development of large airplanes will be put on a fast track.

Large aircraft usually have about 200 seats and a payload of 100 tons. But their development requires a huge investment of manpower and money.

China's aviation ambitions have stumbled along for decades. But experts say the time may now be ripe for China to join the competition. Especially since China has gained technological prowess from building parts for foreign makers, including Airbus.

China has already achieved success in developing its first commercial jet aircraft -- the mid-size ARJ-21 regional jet. The plane is expected to be delivered to clients in 2009. More than 70 jets have been ordered so far.

It's estimated that China's aviation market will increase five times by 2030. That's second only to the US market. Over the next few decades, China will spend hundreds of billions of dollars to buy planes to meet demand. So if Chinese companies hope to grab a share of the market they'll need to develop their own wings.

Editor:Du Xiaodan