Chinese commercial aircraft manufacturer COMAC not only debuted the C919 at the Singapore Airshow but also took two aircraft of the type to the event.
In addition to the B-001F test aircraft, which will perform flight demonstrations at the air show, China Eastern Airlines, until now the only operator of the C919, sent one of the four aircraft in its fleet to Singapore.
COMAC’s presence is not limited to the two C919s: there are also three ARJ21-700 regional jets on static display, one from TransNusa, from Indonesia, another from the manufacturer itself and a copy converted for cargo from Air Central.
China’s state-owned planemaker makes its debut at international events with its two commercial models while Boeing and Airbus have a more modest participation in the aerospace event, the most important in Southeast Asia.
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COMAC’s plans are clear to expand markets for the C919 and ARJ21 as production of both gathers pace.
However, to date, neither of the two commercial aircraft, with a capacity for around 90 and 170 passengers, has type certification from the world’s most respected civil aviation agencies, the FAA (USA) and EASA (Europe).
The emergence of a Chinese competitor comes amid Boeing’s continued problems with its renowned jets such as the 737 MAX and the 787 Dreamliner.
Airbus, which has accumulated hundreds of orders, is experiencing difficulties expanding its production capacity to meet growing demand.
It is still early to consider that COMAC is a competitor capable of supplying part of the market, but the company appears prepared to attract customers in other regions of the world by the end of the decade.