The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) has released their own mid size airliner the C919. I do not believe that this aircraft will receive FAA certification on the basis of this companies previous airliners. This corporation has also released a different type of aircraft called the COMAC ARJ21, which has also not been certified by the FAA. According to an online website, "It’s always a great thing to see a new entrant into the market, but this one feels like it is designed not to fill the global niche of mid-size, narrow-body aircraft. Instead, it seems to be designed to fill the need of urgent lift for the Chinese market." Which makes sense considering the Chinese market was in need of an aircraft of this nature.
If it were to be FAA certified, I don't see any challenge for US carriers. If anything its another aircraft for them to choose from. American carriers would still be considerate and faithful to Boeing and Airbus, but if another cheaper aircraft was certified I could see them exploring that option. But public perception wouldn't go over so well. Many people are afraid to fly and I feel like adding a new aircraft to the mix would only make this fear worse. People have learned to somewhat trust the aircraft that American carriers choose to fly and adding a foreign aircraft with hurt the public perception of flying. COMAC is a Chinese government owned company. The Chinese government also owns the Chinese airlines making it perfect for the airlines to purchase their own aircraft. COMAC has the ARJ21 which was also released but has not been FAA certified.
If the C91 were to get FAA certified, I do believe that other companies would enter as competitors. They would see one successful company and all try to do the same thing. Lastly, I do not believe Boeing or Airbus has responded to this new rollout. I do not believe they need to respond as they have already proven themselves and have a huge share of the market. They both have respectable aircraft that can compete with the C919.
References
1. A Closer Look at the Comac C919 - Why Does it Exist? - AirlineReporter. (2015, March 18). Retrieved November 9, 2015, from http://www.airlinereporter.com/2015/03/closer-look-comac-c919-exist/
I think that you are correct with your assumption that the major carriers would not see a challenge, but years later if the aircraft performs well and the price is right the U.S carriers may have to purchase these aircraft as the 121 operators are very competitive. Any competitive advantage is good for a carrier.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that US carriers will go for the idea of a Chinese aircraft in their fleet, no matter what the cost. There will always be that public perception of China and their products. I am positive that if people knew that aircraft was what they were flying in that day they wouldn’t continue their flight. US carriers don’t just look at the price but they also have an image to maintain.
ReplyDeleteI agree the odds of this aircraft being certified is unlikely mostly because the other aircraft they made still is not. I also agree that the U.S. carriers would not face a challenge because why try to fix something that is not broken especially with a Chinese product. However, I do see what tuco^ is saying and that if it does end up being of quality it could cause an issue by being cheaper.
ReplyDelete