China has set a March deadline to establish its first jumbo
passenger aircraft company, as it moves to positions itself among
countries technically capable of manufacturing large jets.
Huang Qiang, secretary general of the Commission of Science
Technology and Industry for National Defense (CSTIND), told Xinhua
on Monday a director and a chief engineer of research would be
appointed by then to make sure "the work goes as planned".
Previously, Shanghai Securities News reported the
start-up would only be responsible for the design and assembly of
jumbo aircraft, while the production of components and parts would
be left to other aviation enterprises.
It was the latest development of the research project approved
in principle by China's Cabinet, the State Council, last February.
This was to make the country capable of building aircraft with a
take-off weight of more than 100 tons, or planes with more than 150
seats.
Currently, only the United States, Russia, France, Germany,
Britain and Spain have the capability to build jumbo aircraft, with
Boeing and Airbus taking a lion's share of sales in the
international market. Just before the New Year holiday, Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao visited the Avic I Xi'an Aircraft Industry
(Group) Company to give a pep talk on the manufacturing of jumbo
jets. Last year, the company made China the fourth country to
develop its own advanced fighter aircraft -- the "Jian 10".
During his talks with technicians, Wen emphasized a China-made
jumbo aircraft as a "significant strategy" of the country. This
would lift the country's competence in the global market as a slew
of technical breakthroughs, especially in engine, materials and
electronic equipment, were to be made.
The maiden flight of the ARJII1, China's first 90-seat regional
jet, widely viewed as a step closer to jumbo jets, was scheduled
for this year.
(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2008)
