A Comac C919 in service for China Eastern. Photo / Public Transport, Beijing Bureau Beijing Section
A Comac C919 in service for China Eastern. Photo / Public Transport, Beijing Bureau Beijing Section
Your next overseas trip might be on a Chinese-built plane after a competitor of Boeing and Airbus announced major contracts for 200 aircraft to be delivered in the next six years.
China Southern is the latest airliner to order 100 aircraft from Comac, a Shanghai-based aircraft manufacturer. The relatively new aerospace company, founded in 2008, now has several major orders for aircraft to be delivered between 2024 and 2031, with a further 100 set to be delivered to Air China last week.
The C919 narrow-body jets are designed to be competitive with the current duopoly held by European company Airbus and American rivals Boeing.
The aircraft have been rolling out of the factories in Pudong at an alarming rate since being granted airworthiness certification by the CAA of China at the end of 2022.
Though seemingly very similar in cost, performance - and appearance - to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, the main advantage of the C919 is remarkable speed with regard to manufacture and fulfilment.
With Seattle-based Boeing hit by substantial delays to production and a worldwide parts shortage, it seems Comac is quickly becoming a serious competitor.
Aircraft are already in service, with the first Comac aircraft carrying paying passengers for the China Eastern airline last May.
The aerospace company reportedly had over 1000 C919s on order and has been able to offer a “substantial discount”, according to a Reuters report last year.
Despite having a listing price of $165 million, which is slightly higher than a new 737-800, Reuters suggested the state-owned China Eastern airline could be paying as little as around $90m per unit.
However, there is one thing that might slow the takeoff of the exciting new aircraft variant - its reliance on imported parts.
Chinese newspaper the Global Times challenged whether the planes could be considered “domestically manufactured” when Comac relies on international suppliers for 40 per cent of its components.
The first Comac C919 entered service for China Eastern in May last year. Photo / Wangjiliang, Comac
The aircraft engines especially, Leap jets sourced from General Electric, are in short supply.
However, these are tailwinds faced by all airline manufacturers at the moment. With Boeing’s quality control issues causing delays to delivery on aircraft, it is an increasingly attractive option for airlines.
Boeing’s Asia-Pacific division is forecasting competition from the C919 on its future orders, according to a CNBC interview with managing director Dave Schulte.
“It’s a similar sized airplane [to what] both Boeing and Airbus produce,” said Schute. “But for sure, it’s an airplane that is included in our long-term forecast.”
C919 aircraft head-to-head with Boeing and Airbus
Passengers: 158 to 192 seats - compared to 162 to 189 on a 737-800 or 140 to 170 on an A320
Range: 4075 to 5555km - compared to 3585 to 5445km on a 737-800 or 4800 to 6150km on an A320 or A320neo
Cost: $165m listing price - compared to $170 to $187 for a 737-800 or $168 to $180 for an A320
