Chinese firm to supply C-Series center fuselages

By Paul Lowe

July 16, 2008
Aircraft

Bombardier Aerospace yesterday signed a contract with China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corp. (SAC) to supply the center fuselages for the newly launched C-Series family of single-aisle airliners.

The contract between Bombardier and SAC is an integral part of the relationship with the state-owned aviation-industrial entity China Aviation Industry Corp. (AVIC I), of which SAC is a subsidiary.

During last year’s Paris Airshow, Bombardier and AVIC I announced a memorandum of understanding for a long-term strategic cooperation in the 90- to 149-seat commercial aircraft market. Both parties expect the outcome of the collaboration to result in mutual cost reductions and increased production efficiencies for their respective aircraft programs. The C-Series will accommodate between 110 and 130 passengers with 32-inch-pitch seating.

SAC also serves as a risk-sharing supplier for the new Bombardier family of aircraft. At the signing, Wang Yawei, vice president of commercial airplanes for AVIC I, said that based on its market outlook, in the upcoming 20 years the Chinese market alone will need 3,110 commercial airplanes, out of which 2,232 will serve the mainline market and 878 the regional market.

“Developing commercial aviation is the approach we must take for the comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development of AVIC I,” he said. “This is great progress in the AVIC I’s globalization progress.” He said AVIC/SAC will take part in the design, manufacture and assembly and relevant testing, as well as aftermarket support of four major work packages.

For the SAC project, financial, technological and human resources come from both parties. Right now 25 employees from China work at Bombardier’s Montreal facilities.

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