(5th China International Import Expo) Interview丨GE Global Vice President: China-made large aircraft C919 will have a bright future

　　China News Agency, Shanghai, November 8th: Interview | GE Global Vice President: China-made large aircraft C919 will have a great future

　　China News Agency reporter Wang Enbo

　　"I believe that the C919 will have great prospects in the future, and will occupy a place in the market together with Airbus and Boeing." During the ongoing fifth China International Import Expo, General Electric (GE) Global Vice President, GE China President, GE Aviation Group Xiang Weiming, president of Greater China, made this judgment.

　　At the end of September this year, China's large passenger aircraft C919 successfully obtained the type certificate of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

GE is the world's leading manufacturer of aircraft engines. Xiang Weiming expressed his confidence in China's domestic large aircraft in an interview with reporters.

　　"The successful certification of the C919 means that China's large domestic aircraft will take off again." Xiang Weiming noted that the first C919 will be delivered to China Eastern Airlines by the end of this year.

At present, not only China's three major airlines, but also all leasing companies have ordered the C919.

　　He said that according to market estimates, China will need 7,000 to 8,000 new aircraft in the next 20 years, with an average annual demand of about 400 aircraft. It is believed that the C919 will occupy a place in the market together with Airbus and Boeing.

GE has always cooperated closely with COMAC, and will fully support the C919 to be put into use in the future.

　　GE's confidence in China's domestic large aircraft also stems from positive expectations for the overall prospects of China's aviation industry.

In the third quarter, the recovery of major transportation indicators of China's civil aviation industry was higher than that in the second quarter, and the recovery momentum was emerging.

　　"The fundamentals of China's long-term economic growth will not change, and GE continues to be optimistic about China's aviation industry." Xiang Weiming said that the current international aviation market has begun to recover, and China's aviation industry will definitely return to its pre-epidemic development trend.

GE will help airlines make improvements in fuel saving, improving engine reliability, prolonging service time, shortening engine repair time, reducing costs, and improving efficiency, helping the aviation industry to embark on a sustainable development track after recovery.

　　Based on this observation, GE brought a number of the latest achievements in the field of aircraft engines at this CIIE, including the concept model of the "Revolutionary Innovation Technology Demonstration Project for Sustainable Engines (RISE)" which was first exhibited in China.

　　Xiang Weiming revealed that at present, GE and its joint venture company CFM International have a large market share in China, and have established a full range of after-sales services, including engine overhaul capabilities, maintenance personnel training, fleet support center construction, etc. The only "24×7" Fleet Support Center outside of the United States, providing support for domestic and foreign fleets.

　　It is worth mentioning that this year marks the 130th anniversary of GE, and its development will also usher in a major milestone.

The company has previously officially announced the split plan, and its three major business sectors, medical, aviation and energy, will form independent listed companies.

　　Since the epidemic, the global supply chain has faced restructuring. Will GE's long-term planning for the Chinese market and supply chain layout change after the business split?

　　Xiang Weiming said bluntly that the spread of the domestic epidemic did have a certain impact on the supply chain, but when companies needed help, the local government provided active support and cooperation.

"In general, the impact of the epidemic on GE's supply chain in China is very small."

　　In Xiang Weiming's view, the primary and key factor in supply chain layout is still the market.

GE has been in China for more than 40 years, and the layout of various business segments and supply chain has been basically perfected. In the future, we need to find growth points in the market.

"Many local governments have encouraged GE to invest, and we are very willing to continue investing in China with incremental growth."

　　He further pointed out that China is the world's largest energy market, the second largest aviation market, and the second largest medical market.

According to the forecast of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), China will become the world's largest air transport market in 2025.

Faced with such a huge opportunity, GE needs to explore how to deepen localization and further promote supply chain upgrades under the premise of controlling costs.

　　In GE's view, China's supply chain advantages are still quite attractive.

Xiang Weiming said that over the years, the stability of China's supply chain, the high-tech capabilities of local talents, raw material supply capabilities, and the basic industrial environment have brought GE confidence in its long-term development.

No matter for the current GE or the three independent companies after the split, the investment in China, the development of business in China, and the long-term cooperation with Chinese customers will not change.

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