Aero engines on display showcase Chinese aviation's potential

A three-day exhibition of international aero engines will conclude on Saturday at the Shanghai International Commercial Airshow 2023.

Over the last two days, the event displayed China's huge potential in the civil aviation market as well as its ability to be a new growth engine of the global aviation sector, industry experts said.

The event offered visitors a unique opportunity to watch closely the engines that power major aircraft made in China, Russia, the European Union countries and the United States.

The fact that three of the world's aviation engine firms gathered at the event shows they are confident about the prospects of the Chinese civil aviation industry, experts said.

The engines on display at the event are full-size simulation models of the CJ1000A developed by Aero Engine Corp of China for powering China's first large passenger aircraft, the GE Aerospace's LEAP and the PD-14, a high-bypass turbofan engine independently developed by Russian United Engine Corp or UEC.

The large passenger aircraft engine is an extremely important part of the jet, and Shanghai is an ideal location for the product manufacturers to showcase their capabilities, said Qi Qi, an associate professor at Guangzhou Civil Aviation College.

China is currently the world's second-largest civil aviation market with potential to emerge as the largest in the years to come. Major aircraft manufacturers and aircraft engine makers are keen to make their presence in the China market, said an industry analyst.

"This is the first time for the PD-14 to be exhibited in China, which is specifically designed to power the MC-21 aircraft," said Dmitriy Dicheskul, head of aircraft engine program with UEC's Perm Engines.

More than 200 enterprises from 11 nations and regions have showcased their new technologies, products and solutions in commercial aviation at the exhibition. Collectively, they represented complete industrial chain of the commercial aviation industry.

For example, China Eastern Aviation Equipment Integration Co Ltd displayed its hydrogen-powered luggage tractor, which is capable of handling a maximum of 25 metric tons of passenger luggage and cargo.

Chinese private carrier rocket company LandSpace Technology Co Ltd displayed a model of its Zhuque-2 carrier rocket, the first methane-fueled rocket launched into orbit. The Zhuque-2 is the first liquid launcher model to start mass production and commercial use in China's civil and commercial space industry, the company said.

"The manufacturing of large passenger aircraft and the development of aviation industry rely on a global supply chain, as the aviation exhibition shows," said Qi.

An aviation expert said, "The industry chain comprises a wide range of enterprises specialized in design, manufacturing, equipment, maintenance, ground services, among others, and all these parts should join forces to ensure better development of the whole industry."