Out of left field: The Chinese debut their new airliner project

[Chairborne]

Maybe you know this by now, maybe you don't, but the Chinese have just jumped into the airliner market: they debuted their new project, the Comac C919 recently, and construction on the nose began on September 1. Best comparison by aviation journalists is to the A320 family.

[FlyingKiwi]

I imagine there would be a decent market for it within China, it will be interesting to see whether it manages to have any export success.

[sandgate]

I imagine there would be a decent market for it within China, it will be interesting to see whether it manages to have any export success.

And I imagine if it has a similar performance to the A320 it will sell well, as it will cost little more than 50% of the cost of a new A320 and as we all know, airlines buy based on cost, not on country of manufacture.

John

[NMLW]

Yes, but will it be just as safe as many of their other recent exports?

[Raptor22]

The 64,000.00 question?

[Chairborne]

I can imagine this: if China will execute someone for the melamine milk scandal, how much more, I imagine, for a faulty plane. Only time will tell.

[Kurtvw]

I'm concerned that my toddler could choke on it,
That the lead it's paint might poison my family.
That the seatbelts will come unhooked.
that the shrimp served on board will be raised beneath chicken coops because they feed on chicken droppings...

Oh, yeah, and I'm concerned about feeding the worlds largest remaining communist government more American dollars they can use to continue to build a military that may soon rival our own.

[Chairborne]

Oh, yeah, and I'm concerned about feeding the worlds largest remaining communist government more American dollars they can use to continue to build a military that may soon rival our own.

Not to mention selling us Chinese firearms that will be readily and plentifully available here for them to use against us if they choose to march 6 abreast across the Pacific and invade us...

[johnrgby]

I have a friend who has for years has worked as a sub contractor within the aviation industry, He is in to hydraulics etc.
His main customer is/was Smiths Aviaition who became Messier Dowty, who are now GEA, who did most of the work on the Airbus under carriages, they are now shutting down their plant here in Cheltenham, and have been shipping rigs to china for over a year, I assumed they were planning to continue work on the Airbus but with a cheaper workforce. I was obviously wrong!

[rmacttu]

China has no choice but to milk their export markets bare so this comes as little surprise.

However, I'm not so sure they'll be taking much market share away from Boeing or Airbus.