China’s newly established Avic Aircraft intends to become the world’s third force in making large airplanes, setting itself up for rivalry with compatriot commercial aircraft builder Comac. The new company is poised to deeply restructure much of the Chinese aircraft industry, reshaping it in the pattern of Airbus. Old regional entities such as Xi’an and Shaanxi Aircraft are to be swept away, replaced with a framework of units each specializing in its own part of the airframe, such as the wing or nose section.

BEIJING — China is accelerating reform of its military aircraft sector by bringing forward the establishment of a company that will be its national defense champion. Government and industry leaders have dropped plans to initially restrict the new business — a maker of fighters, trainers, drones and missiles — to the status of a division of national aeronautics conglomerate Avic. Instead, the organization has now been set up as a company under the name Avic Defence.

AirAsia and Air AsiaX, Southeast Asia’s largest budget carrier, is looking to launch about 10 new routes within India and to the U.S. by yearend or early 2010. AirAsiaX, an affiliate of Air Asia and the Virgin group, is expected to fly to Los Angeles or New York, Senthil Balan, head of network management, told The DAILY at Routes Asia, a platform for new route opportunities in Hyderabad. “We have two options — fly direct to Los Angeles and New York or via Taipei and the Middle East, or Scandanavia, respectively,” said Senthil.