如果中国商飞迎接挑战，中国将成为全球航空业的重要力量

Aeroplane makers including Boeing and Airbus, the world’s two largest manufacturers, have faced increasing challenges in recent years, after reports of technical and safety concerns.

飞机制造商，包括波音和空客这两家全球最大的制造商，近年来面临越来越多的挑战，原因是技术和安全问题的报道不断增加。

Most recently, the engine of an Airbus A350 caught fire during a Cathay Pacific Airways flight while a rear door plug on a Boeing 737-9 Max blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight. Both companies are also involved in a US regulatory investigation into false paperwork related to the authentication of aerospace-grade titanium parts.

最近，一架国泰航空的空客A350在飞行中引擎起火，而阿拉斯加航空的一架波音737-9 Max的后门塞在飞行中被吹出。这两家公司还卷入了美国监管机构对伪造航天级钛合金部件认证文件的调查。

Supply chain constraints are an additional challenge as Boeing and Airbus struggle to clear their backlog. Boeing delivered just 291 commercial planes in the first nine months of the year, down from 371 for the same period last year. Airbus did better, delivering 497 commercial aircraft, up from 488 for the previous corresponding period. But both manufacturers continue to wrestle with a massive backlog of more than 14,100 commercial aircraft.

供应链限制是波音和空客努力清理积压订单的另一挑战。波音在今年前九个月仅交付了291架商用飞机，较去年同期的371架有所减少。空客表现更好，交付了497架商用飞机，高于去年同期的488架。但两家制造商仍在应对超过14,100架商用飞机的巨大积压订单。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处

Into the breach has stepped Comac, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. The state-owned company’s C919 jet, launched commercially last year, is designed to compete with Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’ A320 planes. This is widely seen as a bid to reduce Chinese dependence on the Western aviation giants and assert China’s influence in the global aviation market.

中国商用飞机有限责任公司（Comac）也加入了这一竞争行列。去年商业化推出的C919喷气式客机旨在与波音的737和空客的A320飞机竞争。这被广泛视为减少中国对西方航空巨头依赖并在全球航空市场上展现中国影响力的举措。

While Boeing and Airbus face pressure to upgrade their passenger aircraft to make them more sustainable after the global industry formally committed to net zero emissions by 2050, Comac has designed its C919 with environmental sustainability as a main obxtive – the jet made its first commercial flight on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in September.

在全球航空业正式承诺到2050年实现净零排放后，波音和空客面临着升级客机以提高可持续性的压力，而商飞在设计C919时将环境可持续性作为主要目标，该喷气机于9月首次使用可持续航空燃料（SAF）进行了商业飞行。

SAF can be made from algae or waste from agricultural, forestry, food and municipal sources. It can cut life-cycle carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with petroleum-based jet fuel.

SAF可以由藻类或农业、林业、食品和市政来源的废料制成，与石油基航空燃料相比，可以将生命周期内的碳排放量减少 80%。

The CF919 also has CFM International’s Leap-1C engine, which promises better fuel consumption, fewer emissions and is quieter than previous-generation engines. For now, three Chinese airlines operate C919 flights, namely, China Eastern Airlines, Air China and China Southern.

CF919还配备了CFM国际的Leap-1C发动机，与上一代发动机相比，该发动机油耗更低、排放更少、噪音更小。目前，三家中国航空公司运营C919航班，即中国东方航空、中国国际航空和中国南方航空。

But international interest in the C919 is growing, especially as supply chain hiccups, including an engine recall, affect the smooth delivery of new planes from established manufacturers. For instance, GallopAir, a Brunei-based start-up airline, has placed an order, while Vietnam Airlines, Indonesia’s TransNusa and Brazil’s Total Linhas Aereas have reportedly expressed interest.

但国际市场对C919的兴趣正在增长，尤其是在供应链问题（包括发动机召回）影响老牌制造商新飞机的顺利交付的情况下。例如，总部位于文莱的初创航空公司GallopAir已经下了订单，而越南航空、印度尼西亚的TransNusa和巴西的Total Linhas Aereas据说也表现了兴趣。

Comac’s bigger ambition, however, is to break into the European market. To do that, it has to first secure certification from the European unx Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), a process it reportedly hopes to complete as soon as next year.

然而，商飞的更大目标是打入欧洲市场。为此，它必须首先获得欧洲航空安全局（EASA）的认证，据报道，希望最快能在明年完成这一过程。

The C919 is at the third stage of the four-step process. In July, EASA technicians conducted an on-the-ground inspection of the jet’s flight simulator and assessed its compliance with European regulatory requirements for structural and electrical systems. The feedback was reportedly positive.

C919正处于四步认证过程的第三阶段。今年7月，EASA技术人员对喷气机的飞行模拟器进行了地面检查，并评估其对欧洲结构和电气系统监管要求的符合性。据报道，反馈是积极的。

If Comac wants to further its global ambitions, it will also need the nod from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), though this may be another story due to challenging geopolitical dynamics. The FAA, as well might the EASA, could subject the C919 to deeper scrutiny.

如果商飞想要进一步实现其全球雄心，还需要获得美国联邦航空管理局（FAA）的认可，但由于地缘政治动态，这可能是另一个故事。FAA和EASA都可能对C919进行更深入的审查。

Any delays in the stamp of approval will shut Comac out of the key markets of Europe and the United States. To overcome geopolitical hurdles, Comac must work on building trust and partnerships with potential buyers of its aircraft.

审查的任何延迟都将使商飞无法进入欧洲和美国这两个关键市场。为了克服地缘政治障碍，商飞必须致力于与潜在买家建立信任和合作伙伴关系。

Comac’s expansion plans come as the aviation market is expected to grow strongly in the Asia-Pacific. Airbus forecasts that the region’s commercial aircraft services market will expand from US$52 billion this year to US$129 billion by 2043, with passenger air traffic growing at a compound annual growth rate of 4.81 per cent. About 19,500 new aircraft must be introduced over the next two decades to meet this new demand.

商飞的扩张计划正值亚太地区航空市场预计将强劲增长之际。空客预测，该地区的商用飞机服务市场将从今年的520亿美元扩大到2043年的1290亿美元，乘客航空交通量将以年复合增长率4.81%的速度增长。未来二十年内需引入约19,500架新飞机以满足这一新需求。

The C919 is off to an auspicious start. Feedback from passengers and the media has been encouraging, highlighting flight stability and the comfortable travel experience. But the challenges it faces remain manifold.

C919开局良好。来自乘客和媒体的反馈令人鼓舞，突出了飞行的稳定性和舒适的旅行体验。但其面临的挑战仍然很多。

On top of securing international certification, Comac has to ramp up its production capacity if it is to seriously compete with Boeing and Airbus. For instance, Airbus aims to produce 75 A320 planes per month in 2027 while Comac’s Shanghai factory is aiming for 150 C919s a year by 2028.

如果它想认真与波音和空客竞争的话，除了获得国际认证，商飞还必须提高其生产能力。例如，空客计划到2027年每月生产75架A320飞机，而商飞的上海工厂计划到2028年每年生产150架C919。

While the C919 is already thought to be much less expensive than the Boeing and Airbus jets it wants to compete with, its price competitiveness can be strengthened by increasing the localisation of its components.

虽然C919已经被认为比其想要竞争的波音和空客喷气机便宜得多，但通过增加其组件的本地化程度可以进一步增强其价格竞争力。

Whether Comac – and its C919 – can take off will depend on how well the Chinese upstart navigates all of the challenges. Should Comac win US and European certifications for its C919 and successfully ramp up its production capabilities, China could emerge as an important competitive force in global aviation.

商飞及其C919能否成功将取决于其如何应对所有挑战。如果商飞赢得C919的美国和欧洲认证并成功提高其生产能力，中国可能成为全球航空领域的重要竞争力量。

In an industry long dominated by the West – particularly in the large commercial jet space, which is almost exclusively occupied by Boeing and Airbus – the emergence of more players can only bring down prices and improve the efficiency of the market.

在由西方长期主导的行业中——特别是在几乎完全由波音和空客占据的大型商用喷气机领域——更多参与者的出现只会降低价格，提高市场效率。

More competition will also push aircraft manufacturers to invest more in technological advances for safer, more efficient and environmentally sustainable planes. The entry of more players can also grow the supply chain, allowing for a more rapid response to changing air travel demand.

更多的竞争也将推动飞机制造商在技术进步上投入更多，以制造更安全、更高效和更环保的飞机。更多参与者的加入也可以扩大供应链，从而能够更迅速地响应变化的航空旅行需求。

Hopefully, China’s Comac will open the door to a better and healthier global aviation industry.

希望中国商飞能为全球航空业的发展打开一扇更好、更健康的大门。