In a groundbreaking move, Beijing’s C919 airliner, positioned as a potential competitor to Western giants Boeing and Airbus, ventured beyond Chinese borders with a flyby at the Singapore Airshow on Sunday. The single-aisle jet, crafted by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), serves as a key symbol of Beijing’s ambitious “Made in China” strategy, aiming to reduce dependence on foreign manufacturers.
China proudly labels the C919, capable of carrying nearly 200 passengers, as its first large domestically produced passenger jet. Although the aircraft made its maiden commercial flight in May of the previous year, it currently holds certification only for passenger transport within mainland China in collaboration with China Eastern Airlines.
Marking the “first time we will be having exhibitors from China,” according to Cindy Koh, executive vice-president of Singapore’s Economic Development Board, the airshow has gained significance with the debut of the C919. During the event, China’s state-owned Tibet Airlines announced an order for 40 C919 jets along with 10 of the smaller ARJ21 regional jets produced by Comac, as reported by Chinese state media Global Times.
China has openly expressed its long-term objective to challenge the dominance of Boeing and Airbus in the aviation industry. The international premiere of the C919 coincides with Boeing facing negative publicity due to a recent incident where part of the fuselage of a 737 Max 9 Boeing plane detached during a flight with Air Alaska in the United States.
Shukor Yusof, founder of Endau Analytics, a firm specializing in aviation industry analysis, anticipates intense scrutiny of the C919 at the Singapore Airshow. He highlights the considerable interest in observing the aircraft’s performance and flight capabilities.
Despite the high barriers to entry in the aviation industry, with few countries producing their own planes, China has invested an estimated $49 billion in the development and manufacturing of the C919, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. However, challenges such as opaque finances and certification hurdles with American and European regulators pose significant obstacles.
Yusof notes that geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington may further complicate Comac’s efforts to establish a market presence in the West. While the C919 could potentially become a regional competitor for flights lasting between five to six hours, particularly in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central Asia, it is not expected to directly rival the scale of Airbus and Boeing.
In a milestone development last year, Indonesian low-cost airline TransNusa became Comac’s first overseas customer by acquiring its ARJ21, designed for nearly 100 passengers.
