China, Russia establish joint company, officially launch wide-body aircraft project

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) on May 22 officially established a joint company, China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co., Ltd (CRAIC). The Shanghai-based corporation will be responsible for the development and manufacturing of a wide-body aircraft.

The company's establishment signals the official launch of the superjet project. According to the Global Times, the two countries have confirmed a serialized scheme of development and have already completed the preliminary definition of each aircraft index. The wide-body airliner will be equipped with 280 seats and will be able to cover a range of 12,000 kilometers.

Its assembly will be completed in Shanghai, and the research center will be located in Moscow, said Jin Zhuanglong, chairman of COMAC. He explained that specific arrangements are still being finalized, and each party has invested an equal amount.

Composite materials will be used for the wide-body jet, noted Yury Slyusar, chairman of UAC. The Russian side, which has accumulated rich experience in this field, will provide reliable technologies to ensure the smooth progress of the project.

Wide-body airliners occupy an important position in the global civil aviation market, noted Vladislav Masalov, vice president of UAC and president of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company.

Though wide-body jets account for less than 20 percent of the world’s total civil aircraft, they nevertheless account for half the value of all civil aircraft.

The Russian side predicted that there will come to be more than 7,000 wide-body airliners between 2023 and 2045, 15 percent of which will go to China. Five percent will go to Russia and the Commonwealth of Independence States.

The new wide-body jet will be developed on a new technology platform, saving 10 to 15 percent on cost compared with the Boeing 787 and Air Bus A350. Slyusar said the jet will likely make its maiden flight between 2025 and 2027.

Some Chinese netizens are calling the new jet “C929.” However, Masalov explained that the name of the aircraft has not yet been confirmed, and the decision must be discussed with COMAC.