Aviation
With the C919 aircraft from Comac, Beijing wants to eventually break the duopoly of the American Boeing and the European Airbus. For President Xi Jingping, the construction of the device was a pivotal moment for the development of China.
The largest passenger plane produced in China has been presented abroad for the first time. The Comac C919, which will compete with Airbus and Boeing, made its appearance at Asia’s largest aviation show, which started on Tuesday in Singapore.
The C919 is the first large passenger aircraft developed by China, even though most parts come from abroad. It is a single-aisle aircraft that is in the same category as the A320 series of the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus and the 737 series of the American Boeing. For Chinese President Xi Jingping, the construction of the device was crucial for the future of his country. It will never be a “real world power” until it has developed its own aircraft, he said two years ago. “Sending Chinese aircraft into the sky embodies the will of our country, the dream of our nation and the expectations of our people.” , it sounded.
The aircraft is built by Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, better known as Comac. It will take part in flying demonstrations every day during the aviation show and is one of the aircraft on display throughout. An order for forty copies of the C919 was also immediately confirmed by Tibet Airlines on Tuesday. The Tibetan airline also orders ten ARJ21s from Comac, an older and smaller aircraft type for regional flights.
Stigma
The C919 has been in commercial service in China since May 2023. According to aviation analyst Shukor Yusof of the consultancy Endau Analytic, it will be difficult for Comac to quickly find a known customer for the C919. “The ‘made in China’ label still carries a stigma in the aviation industry, even though China is today the global leader in the electric car market,” says the analyst. “It will take time before the C919 is ordered by a major player,” it said. But at the same time, “the question is not if a major airline will buy a commercial aircraft built in China, but when.”
More than a thousand aerospace and defense companies are participating in the aviation show in Singapore. 50,000 professional visitors are expected, almost as many as before the corona pandemic.
