Originally Posted by
rickair7777
It's a $100K airplane!!! How can you save $70K on a 100K airplane by building it in china???
1) You still have to buy the expensive parts (engine, avionics) in the US and ship them to china.
2) Labor is not THAT cheap in china...there is a strong demand for skilled labor, especially in aviation manufacturering and repair. Multiple MRO's and China's national manufacturers and airlines are currently fighting for the skilled labor pool, driving wages in an upward spiral.
3) You have to ship or fly the airplanes back to the US, which is still likely to be the primary market.
I wonder if this isn't just a ploy to scare the US workers who make Cessna's bizjets...which is where they make their real money.
I don't think Cessna really needs to scare their U.S. workforce. The Single-engine production employees in Independence are happy (and they are non-union). The Wichita machinist accepted thier new contract overwelmingly (It was a good offer too. It had to be with orders for Citations out till 2010).