JV to make composite plane parts

Harbin Hafei Airbus Composite Manufacturing Center opened a new plant yesterday that will produce major components for the Airbus A350 XWB, a medium capacity, long-range widebody aircraft.
Composite parts to be produced include rudders, elevators, maintenance doors and belly fairing parts, or some 5 percent of the A350 XWB airframe manufacturing in China for Airbus.
Some 53 percent of the A350 XWB structure will be made of composite materials.
The JV plant is a newly formed firm to manufacture aviation composite material parts for Airbus, which industry watchers say demonstrates more Chinese firms are getting involved in global aviation manufacturing.
"It is a firm step for Chinese players in the global aviation supply chain," said Li Fangyong, vice director of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), parent of Airbus' Chinese partners, yesterday.
According to the arrangement, 20 percent of JV shares will be held by Airbus, while the remaining shares will be held by Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co, Hafei Aviation industry Co, AviChina Industry & Technology Co, and Harbin Development Zone Infrastructure Development Co.
So far, Airbus has received 583 orders for A350 XWBs from 36 customers. Air China is the first Chinese airline to order 10 A350 XWBs.
According to Airbus, there are six Chinese manufacturers directly involved in manufacturing parts for Airbus aircraft, including Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp, Shenyang Aircraft Corp and Xi'an Aircraft Industry Co, and their products include the rear passenger door, emergency exit doors, and electronic bay doors.
Meanwhile rival Boeing has about 35 aviation enterprises directly or indirectly working for it in China.
Currently there are nearly 6,000 aircraft globally that utilize parts made in China, accounting for 35 percent of Boeing's total parts.