Air TransportChina’s state-owned commercial aircraft manufacturer COMAC has updated its production plans for 2025, setting a target 50% higher than the one forecast in January.
According to information shared with suppliers at a conference in recent days, COMAC plans to produce 75 aircraft by December, with more than 50 of them being the C919 model, which is a competitor of the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737 MAX.
Until then, the plan was to reach the end of the year with 50 completed aircraft, a volume similar to that delivered in 2024.
The new planning reveals the focus on the C919, a larger and more capable aircraft than the C909 regional jet (formerly ARJ21). Last year, COMAC delivered 37 of these new 164-seat aircraft.
The three Chinese carriers alone (Air China, China Southern and China Eastern) have ordered more than 300 aircraft of the type.
COMAC has also expanded its production plans for the coming years. As early as 2026, it expects to complete 100 C919 aircraft and reach an annual rate of 200 jets by 2029.
As of last December, the Shanghai-based manufacturer had delivered 16 C919s; in 2025, no aircraft have been recorded as having been shipped to its customers yet.
The production acceleration comes amid efforts by the Chinese government to obtain type certification for the aircraft from EASA (Europe), which would open up several markets for the C919.
