Air Transport

The most important manufacturers of civil transport aircraft, taken on a worldwide basis, include the following:

Airbus – It is a subsidiary of EADS, a huge European aerospace corporation, and manufactures aircraft on their behalf. Airbus has its base in Toulouse in France, and it manufactures nearly half of the world's jet airliners. It has sixteen sites within Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain, and employs a total of around 57,000 people across these sites.

Boeing – It is a major defense and aerospace company with a manufacturing function based in Seattle. In terms of revenue, it is the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, as well as the second-largest aerospace and defense contractor, globally. In fact, it holds the position of being the largest exporter in the United States.

Bombardier – It a major aircraft manufacturer with headquarters in Quebec in Canada. It has a versatile product range including regional aircraft, business jets, mass transportation equipment, recreational equipment, such as snowmobiles, and is a financial services provider. The aerospace division accounts for around 50% of the company's income. It’s best selling aircraft include the Dash 8 and CRJ lines of regional airliners. The Learjet company is a subsidiary of Bombardier and manufactures jets under the Learjet name.

Embraer – It is a Brazilian aerospace company that manufactures commercial, military, and corporate aircraft, together with associated aerospace services. In respect of worldwide aircraft manufacturers, it has the third largest yearly delivery of commercial aircraft, behind Boeing and Airbus. Its headquarters and principal production facilities are in São Paulo.

Tupolev – It is a renowned Russian aerospace and defence company, with headquarters centred in Moscow. It is understood that the Russian government is planning to merge Tupolev with other famed aircraft manufacturers, including Mikoyan, Ilyushin, Irkut, Sukhoi, and Yakovlev as a new company named United Aircraft Corporation. Development, manufacturing and overhaul of both civil and military aircraft and weapons systems are just some of the aerospace ventures that the company is involved in. It is also involved in the technologies associated with missile and naval aviation.

In terms of individual specialisations, it can be said that:

Boeing, Airbus, and Tupolev concentrate on wide and narrow-bodied jet airliners

Bombardier and Embraer concentrate on regional airliners, which refer to small airliners designed to fly between 35 and 100 passengers from point to point on short-haul flights. Such small airliners are most suitable for the regional divisions of the larger international airlines.

In order that these manufacturers may function efficiently, extensive networks of parts suppliers, from around the globe, specialising in their own niche areas, provide appropriate support. Such backup is all the more necessary since, in some instances, the manufacturer will provide only the initial design, with final assembly in their own plants.

The Chinese ACAC consortium, a subsidiary of Aviation Industries of China I (AVIC I), formed in 2002 by various Chinese aviation companies, will also soon enter the civil transport market with its ACAC ARJ21 regional jet. The ARJ21 is a twin-engined airliner and the first passenger jet to be developed and manufactured by the People's Republic of China.

Aviation – How To Succeed

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