Industry Leonardo and Kangde Investment Group partner for CR929

China and Russia continue to work on breaking the existing duopoly of Airbus and Boeing with own developed products. While the first Chinese single-aisle aircraft, Comac C919 first flew in May 2017, the first wide body aircraft is still under development.

China’s Comac and the Russian United Aircraft Cooperation launched a 50-50 joint venture named CRAIC (China-Russian Commercial Aircraft International Cooperation Limited) in May 2017 for the development of the new aircraft.

Now, Italian aerospace company Leonardo announced the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding with Kangde Investment Group of China within the framework of the CR929 long range airliner programme. According to the official press release, Leonardo will leverage competences and intellectual property developed in Italy while Kandge will provide the financial coverage for the programme.

Following the finalization of the agreement the two partners plan to establish a joint venture named Kangde Marco Polo Aerostructures Jiangsu Co. Ltd., which will be responsible for the development, production and assembly of composite materials components for the CR929 aircraft.

Alessandro Profumo, Leonardo’s CEO, said: “Leonardo’s decision to participate in the CR929 provides further recognition of our advanced capabilities in the design and manufacture of composite aerostructures. As announced in our industrial plan, are broadening the core mission of our Aerostructures Division by leveraging the Pomigliano D’arco site (near Naples) and growing our business in China, where we are already present in the helicopter and air traffic control sectors.”

CRAIC’s CR929 is designed to carry up to 280 passengers in a high-dense configuration for up to 12.000 kilometers. A first flight is currently scheduled for 2023 while the introduction into service is planned between 2025 and 2028. The new aircraft could become a direct competitor for the Airbus A330Neo/A350 and Boeing’s B787. With over 1.3 billion people, the Chinese market offers sufficient potential for an own developed long-haul aircraft in the coming years. The four major Chinese airlines Hainan Airlines, Air China, Xiamen Airlines and China Southern Airlines currently operate over 75 B787 and over 140 A330 and A350.