（1）Aircraft leasing
The system of aircraft leasing has developed due to the facts that (1) new airline companies have
started acquiring aircraft fleets through leasing in the 1980s, and that (2) budget airline companies
have made a dramatic growth since the 1990s. Attractive aircraft for leasing includes Airbus A320,
Boeing 737 and other models that have been sold in the thousands. In view of the future expansion
of the aircraft leasing market, the project should develop aircraft that incorporates the perspective
of how much it will be worth in the secondhand market after the expiry of the leasing period.
（2）Differentiation strategy for aircraft development
The focus of passenger jet development lies in how we grasp the needs of the market in ten
years from now. The strong public interest in environmental issues since the 1990s is expected
to heighten the needs for reducing strains on the environment. Also, with the introduction of
tighter noise standards, low-noise engines in aircraft are expected to become key aspects.
The advantage of using composite materials is to enable the development of lightweight aircraft,
which would improve fuel efficiency. Labor and maintenance costs account for the largest part of
airline operation costs. Airline carriers are hiring foreign flight crews and are using contract
workers as flight attendants, in a bid to reduce labor costs. Assuming that airline carriers’ profit
margin is around 3 to 4%, models that require low direct operation costs for maintenance, fuel,
etc. would be highly attractive. Maintenance costs represent just as much of the portion of direct
operation costs as labor costs. With feedback from airline companies, efforts should be made to
design aircraft in a way that reduces maintenance costs.
（3）Future aircraft and aviation safety technology
The success or failure of Boeing 7E7, half of which is made of composite materials, relies on
Japan’s technological strength. Technological development of this kind provides a major
advantage to Japan in aircraft development. With enhanced mechanical reliability, human factors
are attributable to a significant proportion of accidents. Japan’s continued R&D in this field is
important to achieve superiority of Japan’s aircraft development programs. Countermeasures for
electromagnetic interference are emerging as a new focus in civilian passenger jet development.
With many aircrafts adopting IT, interference from electromagnetic waves, generated from digital
cameras, mobile phones, and other devices brought on board by passengers, could hamper correct
operation of navigation systems.
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