2024-08-06 03:26:24
Washington: US company Boeing Aerospace is hiring a larger number of Indian engineers than China. It is believed that the US wants to reduce its dependence on Chinese expertise amid growing tensions around the world. According to a report by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, Boeing is hiring almost 20 times more engineers in India than in China. The report said that as of July 31, the Boeing careers website showed only five job openings in China, three of which were in engineering. In contrast, there were 83 job openings in India, 58 of which were for engineering posts. This disparity has remained constant for at least two weeks.
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Boeing’s current employment figures further highlight this trend. Boeing has about 2,200 employees in China, compared to more than 6,000 in India. The fact is that India’s total commercial aviation fleet is only one-sixth the size of China’s. This shift is particularly notable given Boeing’s historic relationship with Chinese talent. Boeing’s first aeronautical engineer, Wong Tsu, was born in Beijing. Hired in 1916 after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Wong played a key role in designing Boeing’s first financially successful aircraft, the Model C naval training seaplane. That achievement laid the groundwork for Boeing to develop its first dedicated passenger aircraft a decade later.
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Tom Crouch, curator emeritus at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and author of several aviation history books, noted Wong’s significant influence in Boeing’s early success. “The Model C was not only Boeing’s first production order, it was the first Boeing aircraft to be produced and sold in large numbers,” Crouch said. “Wong Tsu put the Boeing Company on the world map,” he added. Despite his significant contributions, Wong spent only ten months at Boeing, moving to China shortly before the Model C’s Navy test flights. In Seattle, Wong’s contributions are remembered at the Museum of Flight, where a permanent exhibit honors his work.
Boeing shifts focus from China to India
Boeing’s relationship with the Chinese aviation market began in the early 1970s, inspired by a historic visit by then US President Richard Nixon. This association led to the establishment of several joint ventures in China, including engineering, maintenance and research centres, as well as a facility to complete the development and manufacture of the most successful passenger aircraft model, the 737. Over the years, parts and assemblies for more than 10,000 Boeing aircraft worldwide have been manufactured in China, including notable collaborations such as the 737 Completion and Delivery Centre in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province.
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However, things have changed dramatically for Boeing following two catastrophic accidents involving 737 MAX aircraft, one in Indonesia in 2018 and the other in Ethiopia in 2019. These incidents forced the 737 MAX fleet to be grounded and severely damaged Boeing’s reputation, but Boeing has faced even more criticism for safety concerns, including incidents of wheels falling off planes and panels exploding mid-air on 737 MAX aircraft.
China gave preference to Airbus instead of Boeing
Adding to Boeing’s challenges, China has developed its own passenger jet, the C919, through the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), aiming to grab market share from both Boeing and Airbus. According to Boeing’s 2024 Commercial Market Outlook, China is poised to become the world’s largest aviation market over the next two decades, with a projected need for 8,830 aircraft to be delivered by 2043. Adding to Boeing’s troubles, China has preferred Airbus over Boeing for its new fleet acquisitions, forcing Boeing to seek growth opportunities elsewhere.
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This shift has made Boeing strategically pivot towards India, a country with a growing pool of engineering talent and a rapidly growing aviation market. India, now the world’s third-largest domestic airline market, trailing only the US and China, will need 2,835 aircraft delivered by 2043. Boeing’s growing focus on India is part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on China and leverage India’s engineering capabilities. It is in line with India’s ambitions to establish itself as an alternative to China for technology and manufacturing.