Expert calls for research push to make greener jets

China should step up research and development so it can produce advanced aviation materials and build aircraft that are greener and more competitive, says an expert.

"Advanced materials can reduce an aircraft's weight, lowering fuel consumption and cutting back its ecological footprint," said Cao Chunxiao, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and senior researcher at the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials.

Aircraft have traditionally been made of aluminum alloy, but composite materials and titanium alloy are becoming increasingly attractive to manufacturers.