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Bombardier helping Chinese companies take flight

(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-10-30 14:14

China Eastern Yunnan Airlines, 5 CRJ200
CR Airways, 1 CRJ700, 1 CRJ200
Shandong Airlines, 7 CRJ200, 2 CRJ700
Shanghai Airlines, 5 CRJ200
China Express, 2 CRJ200

In addition, China United Airlines and China Ocean Aviation operate a total of 12 Bombardier Challenger 800 aircraft, a variant of the CRJ200 configured as personnel shuttle aircraft.

"We fully expect to see more of our aircraft in China over the next several years," says Zhang Jianwei, president and chief representative of Bombardier China. Zhang also oversees the extensive activities of Bombardier Transportation, which is involved in several railroad and rapid transit system projects in the country.

"China is expected to see a high gross domestic product growth of an average of 6.7 per cent per year between now and 2025," says Zhang. "According to Bombardier's market forecast, this will translate into commercial aircraft deliveries to China of more than 1,600 in the 20- to 149-seat categories. New airlines, new air services and increased competition, combined with increased spending power due to high economic growth, will spur a demand from the Chinese travelling public."

The forecast sees Chinese operators receiving 610 units in the 60- to 99-seats category and 1,000 units in the 100- to 149-seat category. The former would be served by Bombardier's proposed 98-seat CRJ900X, while the latter would be served by the proposed C Series aircraft of 99 to 130 seats.

Bombardier Aerospace regional aircraft are supported from the Bombardier spare parts depot in Beijing, reducing the time required to ship parts to aircraft operators.
A Bombardier subsidiary, in a joint venture with Shandong Airlines, established the Qingdao Feisheng Training Centre in Qingdao.

The training centre has classrooms and 2 CRJ200 Level D full flight simulators. The training centre further reduces the cost and time required to train pilots as they do not have to travel overseas. Bombardier has since transferred its ownership interest in the centre to Shandong Airlines.

Domestic support

Bombardier also supports the Chinese aviation industry. Earlier in 2006, the company appointed Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Ltd (STAECO) of Jinan as Bombardier's first recognized heavy maintenance facility in Asia. This appointment allows STAECO to perform heavy maintenance - which comes every four years or after 8,000 take-offs and landings - on the Bombardier CRJ family of regional jets. This will save Chinese operators time and expense from flying their aircraft to foreign locations for heavy maintenance.

More recently, Bombardier signed an agreement with Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) that will see Bombardier transferring production of Q400 components to the Chinese company. Production of the aircraft's doors will be transferred first, followed by the aft fuselage, the tail assembly and, eventually, the forward fuselage. SAC and AVIC I have been supplying other components on the Dash 8/Q Series aircraft since the 1980s.

"The arrangements with STAECO and SAC are further evidence of Bombardier's commitment to China as a long-term strategic partner," says Zhang.