Helicopter suppliers will soon find themselves in a golden harvest season for orders from China, according to Liang Zhenhe, senior vice president of the China Aviation Industry Corp II (AVIC II), the State-owned domestic helicopter builder.

AVIC II is one of the two State-owned aviation giants in China and the only manufacturer of military and commercial domestically-made helicopters.

AVIC II has already seen a rapid rise in demand in the last couple of years. But China still has enormous potential, Liang said.

There are only some 140 helicopters used for non-military purposes in this country, according to end-of-2005 figures prepared by AVIC II. But in the forthcoming 20 years (from 2006 to 2026), the Chinese market will have demand for 2,763 units for civilian purposes.

In contrast, the United States owns 11,000 civilian helicopters, and France and Germany each own more than 700. According to AVIC II's market forecast, Chinese demand will grow to be nearly 20 times higher than today in the next 20 years.

Throughout its 50-year history, "especially the unprecedented development in the last five years," according to Liang, the Chinese helicopter industry has accumulated all the necessary traits to grow into a mature supplier for the fast-growing Chinese and global markets.

According to AVIC II's research, of the 2,763 helicopters to join the Chinese civilian aviation service, there will be 193 units of the 3-5 ton level, 304 units of the 5.5-6.5 ton level, 166 units of the 7-8 ton level, and 138 units on the 8-ton-plus level.

Source:佚名