Although the Chinese Comac is still a dwarf compared to Airbus and Boeing in the field of medium-haul aircraft, it continues its rise in power, taking advantage of the generous orders from local companies.
Thus, China Eastern Airlines announced an order for 100 C919 aircraft, the first airliner designed and manufactured in China that aims to compete with Boeing’s 737 Max and the Airbus A320 family.
In reality, it is a short and medium distance aircraft capable of transporting between 158 and 174 passengers over 4,075 kilometers.
At the list price (which was never actually applied), the order amounts to no less than 10 billion dollars. They will be delivered between 2024 and 2031.
First sale outside of China
For its part, the Bruneian company GallopAir announced a letter of intent to purchase 15 C919s. This is the first time this device has found a buyer outside of China.
Remember that outside of China and some African countries, the C919 is not authorized to fly elsewhere, as the aircraft has not been certified by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency).
But it constitutes a thorn in the side of Airbus and Boeing in their conquest of the Chinese skies, where they share 98% of the market. Indeed, we must remember that China has become a strategic market for aircraft manufacturers and that companies go from very large orders.
In 2022, two Chinese companies purchased no less than 292 aircraft from Airbus for $37 billion.
It must be said that China currently represents 20% of global air traffic, a figure that is growing by more than 5% per year.
“They have a somewhat captive market where they can start selling and putting these planes into service and that is why we will closely observe what happens with Comac.” also featured in BFM Business Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus.
Comac also benefits from Boeing’s setbacks in China. The 737 MAX was grounded for 4 years after two fatal crashes.
The American plane maker is also suffering from persistent trade tensions between Beijing and Washington and last year’s deadly crash of a Boeing 737-800, the worst disaster in Chinese civil aviation. with 132 victims. In this way, the American company is practically excluded from new orders from Chinese companies.
Source: BFM TV
