Major Chinese airlines are looking away from Airbus and Boeing and investing in Chinese-made aircraft in a peculiarly imitative order.
Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern each announced identical orders for 35 Comac ARJ21-700 twinjets.
The Comac ARJ21 is intended primarily for regional and feeder traffic and offers a seating capacity of 90 in a single-class configuration or 78 seats in a two-class configuration. Range is up to 1,400 miles on standard aircraft and up to 2,300 miles on the ER variant. The aircraft uses General Electric engines.
The list price for each order is $1.33BN ($38MN per aircraft), though airlines always receive substantial negotiated discounts. Deliveries will take place between 2020 and 2024.
CONCUSION
You have to wonder if these three orders are intended to send a political message. For decades China has attempted to build its own domestically-produced jet business. Thus far, it has fallen short. But Comac has now has orders for over 300 ARJ21s and has much grander aspirations for expansion. Comac has also secured more than 300 firm orders and 700 order commitments for its C919, which will take on the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX.
Unlike in prior generations of Chinese aircraft research and development, the technology is now quite advanced. Boeing and Airbus should not underestimate the growing influence of Comac and its potential to transform the lucrative Chinese market.
image: Airliners.net (CC 3.0)
I thought the orders have long been there before…along with some COMAC C919 orders…almost all mainland Chinese airlines ordered ARJ21 and C919 so it’s hard to think that there is no politics involved in the scene (& some southeast Asian airlines that ordered these two planes are also owned by Chinese capital).
There were prior orders, but these are three new orders.
For decades now foreign companies have sought, and been granted, entry to the Chinese market via technology transfer deals ( most of them heavily skewed in favour of China, albeit with short term mega profits for some foreign companies).
Aerospace is no different. It was inevitable that China would buy, learn and copy…and do it for themselves. Same as with dozens of other industries ( and not too dissimilar from what Japan had done, although the Japanese innovated, added value and developed superior products rather than clones).
Now Trump tries to slam the door but the China horse has well and truly bolted.
You’ve summed up the situation well.
When the Communist Central Committee says “Buy”, the Chinese airlines buy.
I would never fly one of this garbage planes. Can’t trust them even thought they are probably stolen duplicate replicas of Boeing products!
At least it hasn’t killed someone “officially”.
I wouldn’t say never, The Garbage Plane that you mention haven’t robbed or killed any passengers yet.
However, Boeing the plane that people wanted to get on has killed over 500 plus passengers and it is safe in plain common sense.
I can’t help but feel like this is a modern-day Tupolev Tu-4 situation, albeit with better engines. I wonder if the rudder pedals say “Boeing” on the them, too!
Can’t wait to see Boeing’s employee protesting that this kind of thing is destroying US jobs, just like what they did to middle east airlines. Its a very very american mentality…
McD-D set up an assembly hall for the actual MD-80 in China prior to the Boeing acquisition, so it’s pretty f’ing obvious where this abomination came from.
The Chinese have been having issues with the jet engines. While I think the airframe itself might be fine, I would be concerned about flying on a plane with Chinese built engines
Comac ARJ21 is powered by two GE turbofan engines, thus reliability should not be an issue. The plane design, which is based on MD80 platform, is dated though.
Yes, China is lacking in Engine Tech, However this particular plane is using GE Engine. Say, what about Boeing 737 Max, They have advanced Engine and Flight Software but still it crash (Lion Air and Ethiopian Air) killing over 500 plus passengers. This should concern many passenger.
Does anyone know under what ticker the COMAC stock is traded and where? I can’t find it anywhere so far.