The engine parts that 'fight the laws of the universe'

Meanwhile, China hopes to become only the sixth country to master the whole technology chain for single crystal blade casting.

A report in May, external quoted one engineer at the AECC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials claiming that China now had a single crystal alloy "superior to or equivalent to the second-generation single-crystal superalloys widely used in Europe and the US". It costs less to make, too, apparently.

But the West has a "huge advantage" over China given that the majority of commercial airliner production happens there, says Sweetman. Supply chains and the latest innovations are generally clustered in the West. Plus, Western manufacturers also have lengthy safety records under their belts.