Brazilian aircraft manufacturer eyes Chinese small plane market

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 02, 2004

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer eyes Chinese small plane market

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China will need some 635 jet planes of 30 to 120 seats for feeder airlines in the next 20 years, implying a market worth 130 billion yuan (15.7 billion US dollars),said Brazilian aircraft producer Embraer.

China has become a market with great growth potential, said Guan Dongyuan, president of Embraer China, here Thursday.

The company has just ended a tour show of its new product EMBRAER 170 jet plane in five Chinese cities Guangzhou, Haikou, Chengdu, Shanghai and Beijing last week.

China now has a total 660 jets in service and about 70 of them are used by local airlines, accounting for 12 percent of the total.

The proportion is still small compared with 35 percent on average in the world aviation market, Guan said.

According to a Boeing report, 70 percent of the planes China will purchase in the next 20 years will be 150-seat jet planes and planes with less than 100 seats used for local service.

In a large country like China, small and medium-sized jet planes will be in growing need as more people choose to travel to other cities in the same province by air, the Boeing report said.

The government's "Go West" policy to draw more capital and personnel to west China also boosts the air services in the region and, since the passengers are still fewer than in the east, small and medium-sized jet planes will suit.

"As one of the world's leading producers of planes for local service, Embraer is very optimistic about the Chinese market," Guan said.

The company set up a joint venture with the China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II) in January last year to produce its ERJ 145, a 50-seat turbo jet plane.

The first ERJ 145 made its maiden flight at the end of 2003 and this year the factory will be able to produce 24 such planes.

China Southern Airlines has bought six ERJ 145 made in China which will be put into use from June this year to January next year, said Guan.

The Chinese partner has contributed 58 percent of the parts for the ERJ 145 and the joint venture will develop new types of planes for feeder airlines, Guan said.

Source: Xinhua

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