This is a crucial milestone for China’s commercial aviation industry. On Sunday, the first commercial aircraft designed and manufactured in China, the Comac C919, completed its maiden first commercial flight.
China Eastern Airlines flight MU9191 landed “without problems” at Beijing Capital International Airport about 40 minutes earlier. The flight “was extremely smooth, comfortable and memorable. I think I will remember it for a long time,” a passenger on board the plane told CCTV after landing.
For Beijing, this device manufactured by Comac, a state company, must become the armed wing of the country to reduce its dependence on Airbus with its A320 and Boeing with its 737MAX. In fact, it is a short and medium-range aircraft capable of transporting from 158 to 174 passengers over 4,075 kilometers.
Without authorization to fly in Europe and America
A threat to this duopoly that shares the colossal civil aeronautics market in the world? Apart from China and some African countries, the C919 is not authorized to fly elsewhere, as the device has not been certified by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency).
Therefore, the Chinese manufacturer will not be able to benefit for the moment from the numerous orders from American, European or Asian airlines that are currently renewing their fleets.
But in the Chinese sky, Comac could hurt Airbus and Boeing, which share 98% of the market. In fact, it should be remembered that China has become a strategic market for aircraft manufacturers with companies placing very large orders. Just a year ago, two Chinese companies bought no fewer than 292 aircraft from Airbus for $37 billion.
It must be said that China already represents 20% of world air traffic, a figure that is growing at more than 5% per year.
1200 orders already received
Companies that immediately played the economic patriotism card. Zhang Yujin, Comac’s deputy general manager, told The Paper in January that the company had already registered more than 1,200 orders for its device, including China Eastern, the country’s second-biggest airline in terms of passenger numbers.
The automaker planned to increase its annual production capacity to 150 models within five years, Zhang Yujin said at the time.
“They have a somewhat captive market where they can start selling, putting these aircraft into service and therefore we will be very attentive to what is happening with Comac,” Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, stressed in another part of BFM Business.
The European group has also put itself in order of battle in the Middle Kingdom by announcing that it will build a second assembly line for the A320 in Tjianjin to be as close as possible to demand.
Beijing wants fewer western parts on the C919
Comac could also benefit from Boeing’s setbacks in China. The 737 MAX was grounded for 4 years after two fatal crashes, though now orders are rising again. The US planemaker is also suffering from ongoing trade tensions between Beijing and Washington and last year’s deadly Boeing 737-800 crash, China’s worst civil aviation disaster. with 132 victims.
However, the C919 is also an opportunity for the western industry. In fact, the plane is largely made up of Western parts, notably its engines (the Leap-1C) made by the Franco-American consortium CFM International, made up of General Electric and Safran.
A situation that should be temporary, the Beijing press urging Comac to quickly reduce its use. A goal that will take time.
Source: BFM TV
