For the first time since 2019, the three-day Shanghai International Commercial Airshow has taken wing. The industry showcase is putting China’s indigenous engine designs in the spotlight, in particular a likely future power source for the C919 – the home-grown jet serving as a symbol of the country’s progress in aviation. Chen Shaoyang, Vice President of the state-owned Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC), one of the show’s organizers, said the company would “open up and cooperate” with both domestic and international companies. The Shanghai air show is being held at the same time as Aero Asia in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, another industry gathering putting Chinese manufacturers front and center. The AECC is the manufacturer of the CJ-1000A high-bypass turbofan jet engine, intended to eventually power future generations of the C919. The airliner currently uses the LEAP engine made by CFM International, a joint venture between the U.S.’ GE Aerospace and France’s Safran Aircraft Engines. A number of foreign joint venture partners of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) were present at the air show, including Germany’s Liebherr-Aerospace. Comac manufactures the C919, which was produced to compete with Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’s A320 and entered commercial operation in May after more than 14 years of development.
Liebherr-Aerospace is responsible for the development of the landing gear system on the C919, and its components are also being used on Comac’s ARJ21 regional jet. “Liebherr-Aerospace expects a strong production ramp-up at Comac, as China’s domestic market requires thousands of new aircraft in the coming 20 years to comply with increasing demand,” said Alex Vlielander, Chief Customer Officer at Liebherr-Aerospace. “Liebherr foresees that the ARJ21 and C919 will be a market success.”
U.S. companies such as GE Aerospace and Parker Aerospace were among the exhibitors at the air show, although American heavyweight Boeing was absent. French rival Airbus, however, is running a booth with models of one of its bestselling planes, the A320neo. Poor relations between Beijing and Washington have had severe downstream effects on aviation. The U.S. government has tightened controls on the export of what it deems dual-use items, with trade bans imposed on a number of Chinese aerospace companies and institutions labelled as military end users (MEUs) – including units under the AECC. Dual-use items, which cover software and technology, can be used for both civilian and military applications, and exporters are required to secure a license if they want to sell to MEUs.
Besides the CJ-1000A, several other AECC designs are being displayed in Shanghai. The CJ-2000, currently in development for Comac’s C929 widebody jet, is on view along with the AEP-500 turboprop engine. A model of the PD-14 engine made by Russia’s United Engine Corporation (UEC), a subsidiary of state conglomerate Rostec, is also being shown opposite the CJ-1000A. A UEC company representative said the show offered a good platform to showcase its products but declined to comment on whether there have been discussions or plans related to working with Chinese partners. Media reports have suggested Russian aerospace and defense company United Aircraft Corporation has dropped out of a partnership with Comac to develop the CR929. But Comac has said it will push ahead alone, designing and manufacturing the C929 solo in light of heavy sanctions on Russian aerospace companies by the U.S. and its allies following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year, the South China Morning Post reports.
The China Daily adds that Shanghai is aiming to foster a complete industrial chain for commercial rocket production, with an annual production capacity of 50 commercial rockets and 600 commercial satellites by 2025. According to an official plan, Shanghai will focus on satellite manufacturing, launching, ground system equipment, and spatial information applications and services. Centering on the development of three major products – new-generation medium and large carrier rockets, low-cost and highly integrated satellites, and intelligent application terminals – the city will strive to build a full-coverage industrial chain, ranging from rockets and satellites, to ground stations and terminals. Last year, China’s space industry saw remarkable achievements, including conducting a record 64 rocket launches, and completion of the Tiangong space station.
China is currently the world’s second-largest civil aviation market with potential to emerge as the largest in the years to come. Major aircraft manufacturers and aircraft engine makers are keen to enter the China market, said an industry analyst. “This is the first time for the PD-14 to be exhibited in China, which is specifically designed to power the MC-21 aircraft,” said Dmitriy Dicheskul, head of the aircraft engine program with UEC’s Perm Engines. More than 200 enterprises from 11 nations and regions have showcased their new technologies, products and solutions at the exhibition.
