Will Russia and China announce the launch of a new wide body airliner in the new year? China seems committed to taking on Airbus and Boeing with an aircraft which will be almost competitive with Airbus’ A350 and Boeing’s 787 sometime in the middle of the next decade but, presumably, a great deal cheaper to buy, operate and support. That’s just ten years from now. Our new report Future aircraft programmes: timelines and competitive opportunities for aerospace suppliers The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) suggests it will be a really tough call. They will still have to rely on Western suppliers to provide integrator support in areas such as electrical systems and avionics if they are to get anywhere near the level of competitiveness of their rivals. There will be plenty of opportunities for aerospace suppliers to take key roles on the project – if it goes ahead – and we highlight some of those. Could China produce a competitive product? Yes – just.
