Move over, Boeing, China wants in. This August, China revealed plans for a single-aisle jetliner called the C919. Right, now, the only thing available is the 20-foot long model, but soon enough the real thing will grace the skies of the eastern world.
The “big plane” is supposed to hold 190 passengers and is China’s strongest hope for breaking into the commercial passenger business. Its strategic decision to build up innovation may challenge the success of US’ Boeing and the EU’s Airbus.
While the plans are in progress, the maiden flight isn’t scheduled to take off until 2014, and it won’t even hit the commercial market until 2016, according to China’s agenda. In discussing the potential new product, competitors Boeing and Airbus warn that sometimes the engineering of such large air crafts can take more than a decade. Boeing, in an effort to push out a new Dreamliner that will supposedly deliver 20% in operational savings is currently undergoing structural problems and has delayed test flights.
China’s confidence to meet its criteria and its deadlines is not surprisingly unshakable. It plans to have the twin-engine, narrow-bodied plane cost less than the average $50 million that Boeing and Airbus charge, and wants to cut down its emissions by 12-15 percent by using a lightweight carbon composite rather than steel.
Even if all things go according to plan, US travelers may not see China’s C919 for a long time, since it will be mostly used in the eastern market, rather than pushing flights in the US and other western countries.
© Cheapflights Ltd Andrea Mooney
