2007, December

Xiang Feng, or the "Flying Phoenix", is China's first domestically developed passenger jet. The mid-range ARJ-21 jet should help to improve service in China's exploding air travelling market, which has increased by more then 15% in 2007 alone, as compared to 2006. It is also a consequent step in China's ambitious plan to develop a competitive aviation industry. While some 40% of the jet's parts are still supplied by foreign companies, China will gain experience in running the complex production process and benefit from technology transfer. The first flight of the ARJ-21 is scheduled for March 2008 with certification by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in 2009.
It does not require visionary skills to predict that China's aviation industry will become a major competitor to Canada's Bombardier and Brazilian's Embraer - two of the leading mid-range aviation companies. After gaining experience in the mid-range sector, China will eventually expand its aviation industry to produce long-range jets, putting pressure on Europe's Airbus Industries and the US company Boing. With the large size of its territory and dense population centers scattered far apart, China has a huge potential for expanding air travel. While in the past Airbus and Boeing have benefited from China's rapid growth in air transport, it is quite likely that China's aviation industry will eventually take over a large segment of this market.

External Web Links:

http://www.samf.cn/defaultE.htm

http://www.acac.com.cn/site_en/product01.asp

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-12/21/content_6340375.htm