China's C919 passenger plane is about to launch

Another milestone for the C919

Seen as Beijing's answer to the US Boeing 737 and Europe's Airbus A320, the C919, produced by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), aims to cater to China's booming domestic aviation market and conquer the promising Asian market.

Last May, the C919 had its first commercial flight, when China Eastern Airlines flight MU9191 took off from Shanghai and landed in Beijing. Then, last December, the C919 also had its first commercial flight outside the mainland, to Hong Kong (China).

C919 China's first passenger jet has enough competitiveness picture 1 — The COMAC C919 performs during a demonstration flight ahead of the Singapore Airshow on February 18, 2024 - Photo: Reuters

And now, Asia's largest air show in Singapore will see a new milestone: the C919's first flight outside China. COMAC is one of two commercial aircraft manufacturers to demonstrate its aircraft off the coast of Singapore at a preview of the air show on Sunday (the other is Airbus).

COMAC has two passenger products: the ARJ21 regional jet and the larger 158-192-seat twin-engine C919 narrow-body passenger aircraft. The C919 is expected to compete with the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX 8 models, which currently dominate the narrow-body jet segment in particular and the world civil aviation market in general.

Striving for acceptance

Bringing the C919 to Singapore is China's latest effort to raise the profile of the C919 and COMAC internationally.

With Airbus and Boeing scrambling to ramp up production to meet demand for new planes, and Boeing grappling with a series of crises, the aviation industry is waiting to see how COMAC positions itself as a viable alternative.

COMAC will invest tens of billions of yuan over the next three to five years to expand C919 production capacity. China's aviation authority said it will work this year to win European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for the C919, a process that began in 2018.

Many industry experts have warned that the fact that only four C919s are operating in China, the aircraft is only certified by domestic regulators, and production relies on international supply chains, are huge challenges for COMAC.

However, the industry-wide supply crunch is giving COMAC a boost and hope. “We are also seeing a growing trend of customers including the C919 option in their fleet assessments,” said Adam Cowburn, a principal at aviation consultancy Alton.

Two C919s were delivered in 2023 and aviation consultancy IBA forecasts seven to 10 C919s could be delivered by 2024.

C919 China's first passenger jet has enough competitiveness picture 2 — The C919 has only been certified by Chinese aviation authorities and is working to seek licenses from international agencies - Photo: Airways Magazine

“With Airbus and Boeing’s narrowbody A320neo and 737 MAX models sold out for most of this decade, the C919 has a great opportunity to gain market share, especially in the domestic market,” said Mike Yeomans, an analyst at IBA.

“The immediate challenges for COMAC are around production to meet local demand and certification to enter international markets,” he added.

Ambition of "air diplomacy "

If it wins over foreign customers, the C919 could become a trump card in China's foreign policy, much like the Douglas DC-3 made its mark in former US President Franklin Roosevelt's air diplomacy.

With its twin propeller engines, the DC-3 had long range and seating that was considered among the most comfortable at the time, allowing it to operate passenger flights without having to rely on cargo and mail to maintain profitability.

President Roosevelt actively used the DC-3 as a valuable tool to strengthen America's foreign relations. Through these aircraft, he introduced American aviation technology and also gifted DC-3s to countries of strategic importance, notably to King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia in 1945.

Just six years later, in 1951, the United States and Saudi Arabia signed the “Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement” to formally cement the close relationship between the two countries. The DC-3 also marked the birth of Saudia, the national airline of Saudi Arabia.

Now, the C919 has similar potential for China. It will symbolize China's breakthrough in international aviation and its technological capabilities, and could help Beijing strengthen its diplomatic relations and promote its global influence in the same way the DC-3 contributed to US foreign policy.

According to aviation market analysts, although it cannot compete head-to-head with the Boeing-Airbus duo, COMAC's aircraft can conquer the markets of Iran, Russia and North Korea, countries under Western embargoes. The C919 can also penetrate emerging markets such as Indonesia, Kenya or Ethiopia.

But before it can reach those goals, the C919 needs to address safety and reliability concerns to gain certification from global aviation safety agencies, demonstrate operational performance, and ensure a more competitive price than the A320neo or 737 MAX.

Quang Anh

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