In advance of the Paris Air Show (beginning today until 23rd June), Parker Aerospace and China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) have signed contracts to form two joint venture companies as suppliers to China’s C919 program, with one being based in Nanjing.
The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC) has the aims of producing a domestically made commercial airliner that can compete internationally while also breaking the virtual duopoly held by Airbus and Boeing across the mainland.
Parker Aerospace will team up with AVIC Jincheng Corp. in Nanjing to form a partnership and manufacturing facility for the development and support of the fuel, inerting (preventing combustion within fuel tanks), and hydraulic systems on the C919 narrow body aircraft that is intended as a competitor to the Airbus A320 and Boeing’s 737 airliners.
The other joint venture will be located in Xi’an in partnership with the Flight Automated Control Research Institute (FACRI) and will include a customer service repair center that will be responsible for Parker Aerospace, AVIC along with third-party products.
To date, there have been 380 orders for the C919. Industry insiders are speculating a price tag for the new narrow body of around US$68 million, compared with the cost of an Airbus A320 that varies from US$68 million to US$103 million. It is also believed that in the long haul the price for the C919 will decrease as construction shall make less use of foreign made parts, particularly the engines. Over the longer term, it is hoped that follow up projects will see the twin aisle C929 and C939 take to the skies, with respective capacities for 300 and 400 seats.
Parker Hannifin is the world’s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs approximately 60,000 people in 48 countries around the world.