Recently, at the Singapore Airshow, China's domestically developed large passenger aircraft, the C919, made its international debut.
Generally, this marks that China's domestically produced aircraft will not only receive attention domestically but will also gain more recognition internationally.
However, some have noticed that despite the C919 appearing at the international airshow, it didn't attract much attention, seemingly similar to previous years.
What's even more surprising is that China's three major airlines—China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Air China—signed hefty orders worth $240 billion to purchase aircraft from Airbus, a French company.
Apart from the aircraft being coldly received, even Chinese tourists were treated differently at the airshow, with some exhibition halls outright refusing entry to Chinese visitors.
What's going on? Clearly, we already have our own domestically produced large aircraft, so why are the three major airlines spending a large sum of money to buy aircraft from France?
Discrimination
An incident at the Singapore Airshow drew significant attention.
On February 24th, during the Singapore International Airshow, which attracted many aviation enthusiasts and exhibiting companies, a Chinese tourist was denied entry when queuing to visit the German Air Force's A400M transport aircraft after being asked about their nationality.
This situation wasn't limited to Chinese tourists; even Russian tourists faced similar treatment, while Taiwanese tourists were allowed to visit without hindrance.
Although Airbus responded to the incident, they didn't apologize for the expulsion but rather attempted to improve relations with China.
$240 Billion Purchase of Airbus Aircraft by Three Major Airlines
In July last year, China's three major airlines announced purchases of aircraft from Airbus, amounting to a staggering $240 billion.
China Southern Airlines, Air China, and China Eastern Airlines each bought a large number of Airbus aircraft, significantly boosting Airbus's presence in the Chinese market.
Meanwhile, China's domestically produced large aircraft, the C919, faced cold reception at the Singapore Airshow and even scored zero orders.
The Arduous Path of the C919
China had long relied on McDonnell Douglas, which was later merged with Boeing, in the aviation field.
However, with its mismanagement and subsequent merger with Boeing, China began to realize the necessity of independent research and development.
Although the C919 has performed well in the market, the preference for Airbus aircraft by the three major airlines remains due to production capacity constraints and issues with international airworthiness certificates.
Although the number of orders for the C919 has exceeded 1,200, the lack of production capacity and international airworthiness certificates has made purchasing Airbus aircraft more convenient.
Additionally, after French President Macron's visit to China, China placed a large order with Airbus, partly as a gesture of goodwill.
Why Not Buy the Domestic C919?
Despite the substantial number of orders for the domestically produced C919, issues such as production capacity constraints and international airworthiness certificates continue to trouble potential buyers.
In comparison, aircraft from Airbus and Boeing have obtained international airworthiness certificates and are more suitable for international flights.
Furthermore, the domestication rate of the C919 still has room for improvement, as many components still rely on imports, which is one of the reasons some airlines choose to purchase Airbus aircraft.
Although the C919 faces some challenges, with continuous technological advancements, it is believed that China's domestically produced large aircraft, the C919, will gradually become a competitive force in the international market.
In conclusion, despite facing some challenges on the international stage, China's domestically produced large aircraft's development momentum remains positive.
With the increase in production capacity, acquisition of international airworthiness certificates, and improvement in domestication rates, the C919 will gradually gain more market share and engage in more intense competition with international giants like Airbus and Boeing.
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