"Published in Air Transport News on February 2012

CHINA … and its prospects in civil aircraft.

It is true that during these last ten years Chinese Industry has managed to emerge from obscurity.

The Chinese, keeping a very low profile in research and having studied properly the Western Technology, respond dynamically at this field.

¨COMAC¨ is the main innovative company, which is founded, created and managed for many years by one of the top ten Chinese businessmen. ZHANG QINGWEI. Who is the ¨think tank¨ of this incredibly dynamic country/ continent and gave strong push to China, in Civil aircraft.

It's been a few years since Bombardier Aerospace of Canada with the contribution of the local industrial background, has founded factories for the assembly of certain types of its production.

The low labor cost, the lack of strikes, the faithful implementation of the production plan and therefore the quality of the product, gave the Canadians a great advantage for some time.

Jet aircraft of theirs, for medium distances, were manufactured in China at the 1/3 of the cost of Canada.

This of course together with the inexhaustible ability of the Chinese to ¨focus¨ in ¨learning/absorbing¨ the Western technology, brought realistic results.

The wholly Chinese jets appeared to assert claims to shares at the fleets of the Chinese Air Carriers. To control the Chinese Skies.

This phenomenon gives a strategic advantage to their Airline industry. This vast country has increasing aircraft needs.

The rate of airports' construction grows rapidly, and the long distances need quick access – link.

The income of the average Chinese has an ascendant course, but maybe slower than this of some Western economies. However it is rising steadily, in numbers relatively unknown to Europe.