China joins the "big jet club"

In October, before U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China signed an agreement on the implementation procedures of the bilateral airworthiness agreement. The document marked a full and reciprocal recognition of jet aircraft between the two countries. It's of great significance in the path of China's self-developed C919 to obtain an airworthiness certification from the United States and the European Union.

What consequences will it have? In the global aviation market, the most common passenger jets are made by only a handful of companies, such as Boeing and Airbus. The signing of the agreement means that China will also enter the "big jet club."

Compared with the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320, China's C919 boasts a rate of fuel consumption between 13 percent and 15 percent lower, and a reduction in wind resistance of 3 percent. This means that the C919 can fly faster with less fuel consumption than its Boeing and Airbus counterparts. Moreover, the Chinese jet has a more comfortable cabin.

China's C919 is also safe, as the country has very strict standards on aviation safety: the accident rate should be maintained within 0.3 accidents per million hours, reaching the world's advanced level. It means that one won't come across an accident unless he or she spends 10 hours onboard every week for 5,000 to 6,000 years.

In fact, China developed its own passenger aircraft, the Y-10, as early as the 1970s with its maiden flight successfully taking place in 1980. However, regretfully, the project ran aground later for certain reasons. It was not until 2008 that China began to develop another type of large aircraft - the C919, which conducted its successful maiden flight in May this year as well as its first long-distance course-changing flight on November 10. Now, the number of orders for the C919 has reached 730, including from overseas customers.

For many years, China has never wavered in its determination to produce independently-developed large aircrafts. Now, with a broad market demand and a strong national foundation, it is perfect timing for the C919 to enter the stage. At present, there are very few countries with large aircraft manufacturing capabilities in the world. The fact that China can independently design and manufacture a large civilian aircraft which meets international airworthiness standards is a reflection of the country's overall strength in science, technology and manufacturing.

The recently-concluded 19th CPC National Congress particularly stressed the issues of driving economic development with innovation, expanding major scientific and technological programs, and turning China into a science and technology giant and a manufacturer of high quality.

Currently, there is still a technological gap in relation to the manufacturing of large aircrafts between China and developed countries, and the engines of the C919 are still provided by international companies. However, in the long run, it is quite possible that, like China's high-speed railway development, its large aircrafts will be made completely from independent research and production and will march towards the forefront of the world through fully integrating domestic and foreign technologies. That day will be worth the wait, and we believe it will surely come.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

China joins the "big jet club"
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2017-11/23/content_41933100.htm

About China.org.cn

Founded in 2000, China Internet Information Center (China.org.cn/China.com.cn) is a key state news website under the auspices of the State Council Information Office, and is managed by China International Publishing Group. We provide round-the-clock news service in ten languages. With users from more than 200 countries and regions, we have become China's leading multi-lingual news outlet introducing the country to the outside world.

We are one of the country's authoritative outlets for government press releases and are authorized to cover various major events. "Live Webcast" is our online webcasting service to present State Council Information Office press conferences in both Chinese and English languages. We are reputed for timely and accurate delivery of news and information, and wide interactions with audiences. In addition, we are authorized to publish and live broadcast major events and press conferences of ministries, local government agencies and institutions as well as enterprises.

In the era of mobile internet, we endeavor to create an array of products for mobile devices headed by the multilingual WAP platform and the mobile APP. We also use Chinese and international social media to publish information for different user groups.

In the future, CIIC will continue to offer authoritative information about China, tell China's stories, voice China's opinions, and introduce a vivid, panoramic and multicultural China to the world through multi-language, multi-media and multi-platforms.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE China.org.cn