The Chinese aviation market shows first signs of a slowdown

The Chinese aviation market shows first signs of a slowdown, but Airbus and Boeing still see buoyant commercial prospects there. For the first time since the SARS epidemics in 2003, the country’s major airline, Air China, posted a fall in passenger traffic last month –down 10.7% from the same month in 2007. China Southern also recorded a drop in traffic (-0.1%) in May. Handelsblatt goes back over the commercial battle between Airbus and Boeing in China. Airbus expects the country to order some 3,000 aircraft over the next 20 years. To grab a significant share of this market, the European plane maker has set up a plant in Tianjin to assemble A320 aircraft. Both local manufacturers Avic I and Avic II are partners to Airbus. The Chinese hold 49% of final assembly work in Tianjin, and Airbus 51%, says the German newspaper, citing China Daily. Thomas Enders commented on the Airbus- Boeing duopoly, saying it will be challenged by “ambitious newcomers, namely China, Japan, Russia and India” in term. Les Echos, Handelsblatt