China Civil Aviation Industry, Technology, Infrastructure: News & Discussions

[JSCh]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1048833078523658241

China Xinhua News ‏Verified account @XHNews
China's first all-composite five-seat aircraft "Shanhe SA160L" completed its first flight in Hunan, marking a breakthrough in China's own brand general aircraft industry.

3:11 PM - 7 Oct 2018

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[JSCh]

Air terminal goes fully automated
By WANG YING | China Daily | Updated: 2018-10-10 08:01

A staff member cleans the floor and makes final checks at Terminal 1 of the Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai on Tuesday, before it reopens after a three-year renovation. YIN LIQIN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE
Terminal 1 at Shanghai's Hongqiao International Airport will become the first in the country to offer completely automated check-in and boarding services for domestic departures on Oct 15 after more than three years of renovation.

The terminal will serve domestic flights run by Shanghai-based Spring Airlines, along with international flights by other airlines.

A total of 28 self check-in machines and 18 sets of self baggage drop counters will take over the boarding process for passengers on Spring Airlines' domestic flights, according to Zhang Xiaojun, an official from the Shanghai Airport Authority.

The machines can print boarding passes and baggage claim tags, allowing travelers to scan their ID cards, obtain their boarding passes and check in luggage by themselves.

The boarding process is complete after the passengers pass the security check, which is also automated. It includes data analysis and facial recognition, which will take about 12 seconds to complete. Facial recognition and ID card scanning for boarding will take only seconds.

"After scanning ID cards and completing face recognition at the eight machines for self security check, passengers reach the final stop of self boarding," Zhang said.

Wang Zhijie, president of Spring Airlines, said that compared with traditional checkin procedures, the self-service system saves passengers from having to rush between different counters for various services.

But Wang said the company will offer help to passengers if they are not familiar with the self-service system.

He said the software systems for the self check-in and the self-service luggage drop counter were developed independently by Spring Airlines' information technology team, and the self-service boarding machines were developed jointly by the budget carrier and Hongqiao airport.

The automation facilities are part of a terminal refurbishment project that started in December 2014. The project also includes the renovation of the terminal's traffic facilities and surrounding infrastructure, according to Dai Xiaojian, vice-chairman of the Shanghai Airport Authority.

In addition to the new check-in and boarding services, the building is also equipped with 11 washrooms, nine nursery rooms, 10 wheelchair accessible restrooms, and high-speed Wi-Fi and cell phone battery charging.

"One of the most difficult parts throughout the renovation is that the terminal's flights operated as normal," Dai said.

He said the terminal will be capable of handling 10 million passenger trips a year after the renovation.

Jiang Yunqiang, general manager of Hongqiao airport, said: "We understand passengers will find the new procedures take time to get used to. But self-service is the trend for global airports, and Hongqiao airport will take all the necessary measures with airlines to help travelers understand the process in advance."

 

[JSCh]

Genghis Khan Airlines adds homebuilt jetliner ARJ21 to fleet
chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2018-10-15 13:49

[Photo/VCG]
Genghis Khan Airlines, a newly established regional carrier of Inner Mongolia autonomous region, will become the second customer of ARJ21, the first homebuilt regional jetliner, after Chengdu Airlines.

ARJ21, developed by Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd, has been put into commercial use for more than two years and transported over 160,000 people.

COMAC and Genghis Khan Airlines signed an agreement on Monday morning, and the two sides will establish a comprehensive strategic cooperation on airplane operations, talent training and maintenance, to meet the growing demand of air transportation in the area.

Meanwhile, COMAC said it will establish an aircraft maintenance base in Inner Mongolia autonomous region. In the initial stage, the base will provide maintenance services for ARJ21, and it will extend the maintenance services to the homemade single-aisle C919 and wide-body CR929 at an appropriate later time.

Currently, Chengdu Airlines operates seven ARJ21 jetliners, and the carrier will receive the eighth airplane on Monday afternoon.

 

[JSCh]

Comac Speeds ARJ21 Production, Readies Flight Deck Redesign | Air Transport News: Aviation International News
by Jennifer Meszaros - October 19, 2018, 10:15 AM

Comac's ARJ21 has undergone a flight deck redesign scheduled to appear in a production aircraft early next year.​

Comac is ramping up production to complete an additional seven ARJ21-700 regional jets by year-end, bringing the total number to 15, against a backdrop of political pressure to raise China’s profile as a global aerospace contender. The push for production coincides with a recent order placed by Chinese regional carrier Genghis Khan Airlines for 25 ARJ21s, calling for first delivery by year-end. Chengdu Airlines remains the sole operator of the Comac regional jet with a fleet of eight.

Both airlines will eventually benefit from a complete redesign of the flight deck, expected to appear in the 15th aircraft or shortly thereafter. The new layout features a better-organized grouping of switches, buttons, instruments, and displays to increase situational awareness and simplify workload. One of the biggest development impediments since the aircraft began flight testing in 2008 involved avionics integration.

Designers expect the new layout, successfully tested on the ARJ21’s flight simulator, to significantly reduce the amount of pilot training required on the type.

Meanwhile, the development of the Chinese-Russian CR929 continues to gain momentum as Comac moves toward evaluating and selecting suppliers ahead of its biennial airshow, Airshow China, which starts November 6. According to Italian media outlet Sole 24 Ore, Italian aviation conglomerate Leonardo will form a partnership with Comac to participate in the production of the CR929 while creating a joint venture with the Chinese Kangde group to produce the central section of the fuselage at its Zhangjiagang factory. Plans call for final assembly of the aircraft to take place at Comac’s Shanghai facility.

 

[JSCh]

China to become largest global aviation market in mid-2020s: IATA
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-25 02:44:58|Editor: mmm


GENEVA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Wednesday its 20-Year Air Passenger Forecast shows that China will displace the United States as the world's largest aviation market in the mid-2020s.

The rebalancing of China's economy towards consumption will support strong passenger demand over the long term, said the IATA report, noting that the aviation market for China is defined as traffic to, from and within the country.

The IATA report revealed that present trends in air transport suggest global passenger numbers could double to 8.2 billion in 2037.

"Aviation is growing, and that is generating huge benefits for the world. A doubling of air passengers in the next 20 years could support 100 million jobs globally," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's Director General and CEO, in a statement here.

IATA warned, however, that growth prospects for air transport, and the economic benefits driven by aviation, "could be curtailed if protectionist measures are implemented by governments."

Over the next two decades, the forecast anticipates a 3.5 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), leading to a doubling in passenger numbers from today's levels.

The Asia-Pacific region will drive the biggest growth with more than half the total number of new passengers over the next 20 years coming from these markets.

Growth in this market is being driven by a combination of continued robust economic growth, improvements in household incomes and favorable population and demographic profiles.

By 2020, India will take 3rd place after the United States, surpassing Britain around 2024.

Indonesia is forecast to be a standout performer, said IATA, climbing from the world's tenth largest aviation market in 2017 to the 4th largest by 2030.

 

[JSCh]

From AVIC ,

First delivery of cabin seat for Airbus by AVIC Cabin System.

▲公务舱座椅 Business class

▲经济舱座椅 Economy class​

 

[JSCh]

Second C919 lands at latest testing ground
Yang Jian 16:17 UTC+8, 2018-10-27

Wang Jiliang / Ti Gong
A "water-gate ceremony" is held to welcome the second prototype of C919 at Nanchang Yaohu Airport in east China's Jiangxi Province on Saturday. The single-aisle aircraft arrived at at 11:09am after an over two-hour flight from the Dongying Testing Base in east China’s Shandong Province.

The second prototype of China’s domestically made narrow-body passenger aircraft, the C919, completed another long distance flight on Saturday to a new test flying site in east China's Jiangxi Province.

The single-aisle aircraft, labeled No. 102, arrived at Nanchang Yaohu Airport at 11:09am after an over two-hour flight from the Dongying Testing Base in east China’s Shandong Province.

Cai Jun, captain of the maiden flight for the first C919, was one of the test pilots along with three other pilots and two engineers for the journey.

The Yaohu airport opened in August and is mainly used by Hongdu Aviation Industry Group Ltd. a major Chinese aircraft manufacturer, for test flights. It also serves as a general aviation airport.

The airport was selected as another testing base for the C919 because its short distance — 610 kilometers — from Shanghai where the narrow-body jet is assembled. The airport also features a 3.6-kilometer specialized runway and airspace for test flights, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), C919’s developer.

The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group can offer professional teams and facilities to support the C919's test flights. The group takes charge of the research and manufacturing of the front, middle and rear fuselage parts of the C919, according to COMAC.

Two ARJ21s, China's domestically development region jets have also arrived at the airport to carry out adaptability tests. They will be delivered to Chengdu Airlines, which is operating five ARJ21s for eight air routes.

Wang Jiliang / Ti Gong
Test flight pilots and engineers pose in front of the C919 with airport officials at Nanchang Yaohu Airport in east China's Jiangxi Province on Saturday.

The second C919 aircraft, which rolled out from the assembly line on November 28 last year and had its first test flight in December, completed a series of inspections on operation stability and flying performance before flying to Shandong in July this year.

The No.102 aircraft will test C919’s power unit as well as fuel, electrical and environment control systems, COMAC has said.

The first and second prototypes of the C919 are carrying out a series of experiments simultaneously. The first C919, which made its maiden flight from Shanghai on May 5, 2017, is currently at the Yanliang Testing Base in Xi’an in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.

The third C919 has completed its painting in Shanghai and will have its maiden flight soon. The third jet, featuring some design adjustments and different inner structures compared with its two predecessors, is expected to be used to acquire the airworthiness certificate.

The company said there will be six C919 planes for various flight tests, and two others for static and fatigue tests on the ground, before the aircraft begins commercial operation around 2020. More than 1,000 ground and air tests on power, performance, stability, flying control, frozen, high and low temperatures will be carried out, according to COMAC.

The C919, with 168 seats and a range of 5,555 kilometers, will compete for orders with the updated A320 (A320neo) and the new-generation Boeing 737 (737Max).

COMAC has secured 815 orders from 28 foreign and domestic airlines. In addition, China's HNA Group has signed a strategic partnership agreement with COMAC with plans to order another 200 C919s.

Wang Jiliang / Ti Gong
A member of the airport's ground staff guides the C919 after its landing at Nanchang Yaohu Airport in east China's Jiangxi Province on Saturday.

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Wang Jiliang / Ti Gong
The second prototype of and C919 and two ARJ21s pictured at Nanchang Yaohu Airport.

Source: SHINE Editor: Han Jing

 

[JSCh]

Genghis Khan Airlines adds homebuilt jetliner ARJ21 to fleet
chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2018-10-15 13:49

[Photo/VCG]
Genghis Khan Airlines, a newly established regional carrier of Inner Mongolia autonomous region, will become the second customer of ARJ21, the first homebuilt regional jetliner, after Chengdu Airlines.

ARJ21, developed by Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd, has been put into commercial use for more than two years and transported over 160,000 people.

COMAC and Genghis Khan Airlines signed an agreement on Monday morning, and the two sides will establish a comprehensive strategic cooperation on airplane operations, talent training and maintenance, to meet the growing demand of air transportation in the area.

Meanwhile, COMAC said it will establish an aircraft maintenance base in Inner Mongolia autonomous region. In the initial stage, the base will provide maintenance services for ARJ21, and it will extend the maintenance services to the homemade single-aisle C919 and wide-body CR929 at an appropriate later time.

Currently, Chengdu Airlines operates seven ARJ21 jetliners, and the carrier will receive the eighth airplane on Monday afternoon.

From weibo, 27th Oct, test flight.

 

[TaiShang]

From weibo, 27th Oct, test flight.

It will be an amazing (more cost-effective) option for flights into/from China's neighbors in all directions.

And China has a lot of neighbours.

 

[JSCh]

Boeing Zhoushan project to deliver first airplane in December
Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-03 22:02:32|Editor: zh


ZHOUSHAN, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Boeing's 737 Completion and Delivery Center in Zhoushan, a coastal city in eastern China's Zhejiang Province, will deliver its first plane in 737 family in December, said Boeing China on Friday.

"It is the first time that Boeing has extended the 737 production facilities overseas. The upcoming delivery also marks the first time Boeing has delivered an aircraft at an overseas site," said John Bruns, president of Boeing China.

The newly-completed 737 airplane will be delivered to Air China.

The Boeing Zhoushan project is made up of two parts -- a Boeing 737 completion center and the delivery center, in which the Boeing 737 aircraft will receive interior installation, painting, maintenance and delivery.

Boeing and its Chinese partner Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd.(COMAC) will jointly run the completion center, with the 737 delivery center being solely owned by Boeing.

"We will deliver the first 737 aircraft in Zhoushan this year, and we will gradually continue the ramp-up, making annual capacity reach 100," Bruns said.

Boeing and COMAC signed an agreement in October 2016 to set up the plant in Zhoushan, 287 km southeast of Shanghai.

"The 737 Completion and Delivery Center in Zhoushan will only serve our Chinese customers, supporting them to expand the fleet and become more successful in the market," Bruns said.

"We will stay focused to make the Zhoushan project successful, growing an aviation industrial system and enhancing the capacity of our suppliers," he added.

China is of critical importance to Boeing's performance in the global commercial aircraft market. Boeing delivered a record high of 202 new aircraft to China in 2017, representing its sixth consecutive year of more than 140 deliveries to the country.

Boeing's global deliveries of commercial aircraft reached 763 in 2017, with those to China making up 26 percent.

China's civil aviation industry saw air passenger volume reach 552 million in 2017, a 13 percent increase year on year, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

By the end of 2017, there were 58 airlines in China offering services on 4,418 air routes. The country's civil aviation fleet reached 3,296 aircraft.

"Boeing is greatly honored in witnessing and supporting China's aviation growth. We have been in cooperation with China for 46 years and have built a creative strategic partnership of win-win cooperation," said Bruns, adding that Boeing will continue to deepen and facilitate cooperation with China.

 

[JSCh]

Planes of two new customer of ARJ21 has arrived at Zhuhai airshow.

Also the newest for Chengdu Airline,

 

[JSCh]

Prototype of CR929 debuts at Airshow China
Yang Jian 10:33 UTC+8, 2018-11-06

Wang Jiliang / Ti Gong
A full-scale prototype of part of the CR929, the first long-haul jet developed by China and Russia, makes its debut on Tuesday at the Airshow China in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province.

A full-scale prototype of part of the CR929, the first long-haul jet developed by China and Russia, made its debut on Tuesday at the Airshow China in south China's Guangdong Province.

The China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Corporation, a 50/50 joint venture between the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) and United Aircraft Corp of Russia, unveiled the prototype for display of the wide-body jet at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai.

The 22-meter-long, 6.5-meter tall and 5.9-meter-wide prototype mainly displays the cockpit and cabin of the CR929, which is scheduled to make its maiden flight in 2025 and be delivered in 2028.

The prototype showcases the cutting-edge designs for the cockpit, advanced avionics integration and personalized cockpit layout of the CR929. the COMAC said. The cabin part includes two lines of first-class suites, three lines of business-class seats and four lines of economy-class seats.

The jet's art-of-the-state entertainment system and decorative elements are also highlighted in the prototype, according to the COMAC.

"The debut exhibition aims to display the cabin configuration and allow customers to experience the jet's market development," the COMAC said.

The wide-body jet will seat 280 and have a range of up to 12,000 kilometers to challenge market leaders Boeing and Airbus. It will be assembled in Shanghai.

The CR929 project has entered the preliminary designing stage and the development is now in full swinging, an official with COMAC said.

The COMAC and United Aircraft Corp signed a contract to jointly start the project in June 2016. They established the joint venture in Shanghai in May 2017 and unveiled its name and logo four months later. The joint venture confirmed the appearance and size of the jet in June 2018.

The C919, China's first domestically developed narrow-body jet, made its maiden flight at Pudong International Airport on May 5, 2017.

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Wang Jiliang / Ti Gong
Officials with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China and United Aircraft Corp of Russia unveil the prototype for display of the CR929 wide-body jet at the Airshow China in Zhuhai.

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Wang Jiliang / Ti Gong
The cockpit layout of the CR929 is on display at the at the Airshow China in Zhuhai.

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Wang Jiliang / Ti Gong
The first-class, business-class and economy-class seats of the CR929 are on display at the at the Airshow China in Zhuhai.

 

[JSCh]

China's COMAC signs deal to sell 30 ARJ-21 jets to SPDB Financial Leasing
November 05, 2018, 10:56:00 PM EDT By Reuters

Reuters​

ZHUHAI, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Chinese plane manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) on Tuesday signed a deal to sell 30 ARJ21 jets to Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB) Financial Leasing Co, of which 15 were firm orders and the rest optional.

COMAC said in a statement that the agreement with SPDB Financial took its order book for the ARJ-21 to 528 from 24 customers, without distinguishing how many were firm orders.

The ARJ-21, China's first domestically-produced regional jet, made its first commercial flight in 2016 and Chengdu Airlines is currently its sole operator.

Chinese conglomerate HNA Group, Urumqi's parent, agreed to purchase 100 of the planes from COMAC in July.

China's COMAC signs deal to sell 30 ARJ-21 jets to SPDB Financial Leasing - Nasdaq.com

 

[JSCh]

CR929 engine set for joint development
By Zhu Wenqian | China Daily | Updated: 2018-11-15 08:01

A CR929 widebody passenger aircraft on display at an industry expo in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, earlier this month. [Photo by Chen Jimin/China News Service]

China and Russia plan to jointly develop the aero engine for the CR929, a widebody passenger aircraft that is being co-developed by the two countries, but this may require at least 10 years, said a Russian senior executive.

United Engine Corp of Russia and Aero Engine Corp of China will together develop the engine for the CR929 at a later stage. At the moment, both countries have yet to master the related skills and will choose other engine suppliers, according to Rostec Corp, the parent company of United Aircraft Corp in Russia, which is responsible for CR929 project implementation on the Russian side.

Only a few engine makers, including US multinationals General Electric Co and Pratt& Whitney, and British aero engine maker Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc, can manufacture aero engines for longrange, twin-aisle passenger jets such as the CR929.

"The development of key aircraft components is bringing us closer to our strategic goal, of the first flight of the aircraft scheduled for 2025-28," said Viktor Kladov, Rostec's director for international cooperation and regional policy.

"The CR929 project is perhaps the key area of cooperation between China and Russia in the civilian sector. In the next 20 years, demand for such aircraft in the Chinese market and other Asia-Pacific countries will amount to hundreds of aircraft of that class," Kladov said.

Meanwhile, Rostec said the R&D to design the landing gear concept for the CR929 has been completed. Russian specialists earlier made a presentation for Commercial Aircraft Corp of China in Shanghai on the fire protection and crew oxygen supply systems for the new aircraft.

Last year, China Russia Commercial Aircraft International Corp (CRAIC)－a joint venture of UAC and COMAC－opened its office for the CR929 project in Shanghai.

The joint venture is functioning as the operator of the program and is responsible for separating the duties, establishing relevant engineering centers in the countries and selecting contractors, including developers, and first and second-level suppliers, from among the subsidiaries of Rostec, the Chinese participants and foreign companies, according to Rostec.

The CR929, which aims to break the duopoly of US manufacturer Boeing and European maker Airbus in the widebody passenger aircraft sector, will mainly target markets in China, Russia and other Asia-Pacific countries after it is put into commercial use. Its competing models include the Airbus' A330 and Boeing's B787.

 

[Adam WANG SHANGHAI MEGA]

arj 21 and c 919 delivery delivery and delivery!