Airshow China displays advanced technology, shared market

GUANGZHOU -- China's first homemade large jetliner, the C919, soared into the sky, its two roaring engines sending out a wave of sound. This impressive outing was the aircraft's public appearance at Airshow China 2022.

The six-day event, also known as the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, concluded Sunday in Zhuhai, a port city in South China's Guangdong province.

Since its inception in 1996, Airshow China has become an important window for showcasing advanced aviation and aerospace technologies and equipment from home and abroad. It has also become an international platform for promoting business cooperation on aviation and aerospace technologies and equipment.

Eye-catching tech

During the event, China unveiled an array of new aircraft, a life-size replica of China's orbiting Tiangong space station, and a range of unmanned equipment.

At the airshow, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd received new orders for 300 C919 passenger aircraft from seven domestic leasing firms, including China Development Bank Leasing and ICBC Leasing.

In late September, the C919 obtained its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, a big step on the way to market operation.

With a maximum flight range of over 5,000 km, the C919 is capable of covering major domestic routes, with a capacity of up to 192 passengers.

Another aircraft making its maiden appearance at the airshow was the AG600M, China's independently-developed large amphibious firefighting plane, which is codenamed Kunlong, meaning "water dragon" in Chinese.

Kunlong took off carrying its maximum water-storage capacity of 12 tonnes. After conducting a fly-around at the exhibition center, it performed a water-dropping demonstration, prompting cheers and applause from the crowd.

The China Siwei Surveying and Mapping Technology Co Ltd will complete its new-generation commercial remote sensing satellite system from 2022 to 2025, said Zhang Xiaodong, general manager of the company, during the airshow.

The commercial remote sensing satellite system features 28 satellites with various payloads. The company has completed building four satellites for the system and has begun to provide timely, efficient and high-performance spatio-temporal information services for clients.

Shared market

In recent years, China has advanced the construction of a domestic aerospace industrial chain. The airshow also demonstrated the nation's determination to opening-up, fostering international collaboration and building a shared market.

More than 740 domestic and overseas enterprises from 43 countries and regions participated in the exhibition on-site or online.

As the world's second-largest civil aviation market, China has grabbed global attention with its booming market demand.

"Honeywell has full confidence in the Chinese market, and is willing to collaborate with clients, partners and suppliers to help make China's aviation industry safer, smarter and more sustainable," said Xu Jun, president of Honeywell Aerospace Asia-Pacific.

China Aviation Supplies Holding Company signed a bulk agreement with Airbus to purchase the latter's 140 aircraft worth a total of $17 billion early this month.

According to the market forecast made by Airbus, China's average annual growth of aviation transportation will reach 5.3 percent in the next 20 years, higher than the global average of 3.6 percent.

"China's development has driven the explosive growth of the aviation demand, and the continuous strengthening of aviation infrastructure has made it possible for air travel to China's vast central and western regions," said George Xu, CEO of Airbus China.

Airbus started to produce A321 aircraft at its Final Assembly Line Asia facility in North China's Tianjin on Wednesday.

"The A321 is currently one of the most popular aircraft in the A320 family," Xu said. "This is our latest step in China, showing our unwavering support for the Chinese market."