HNA Aviation buys 100 planes from Comac, giving China’s home-grown aircraft builder a leg up in its bid to catch up with Airbus and Boeing
- HNA signed a contract for 60 of Comac’s C919 single-aisle passenger jet and 40 of the ARJ21 regional jetliners yesterday in Shanghai
- By the end of last year, Comac received orders for 1,035 C919 airliners, its flagship product to rival Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’ A320
The procurement is a boost for Comac in helping China to fulfil President Xi Jinping’s aspiration to challenge the dominance of Boeing and Airbus in the home or even the global market. China is aiming for a 10-per cent share of domestic aviation by 2035. By the end of last year, Comac received orders for 1,035 C919 airliners, its flagship product to rival Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’ A320.
“The two parties will take advantage of this opportunity to deepen cooperation and further integrate the civil aviation transport industry with commercial airline manufacturing to build a strong nation in terms of civil aviation and manufacturing,” according to the statement.
Comac can break the duopoly of Boeing and Airbus in the home market because of the size of China’s aviation industry and strong policy support, according to Berlin-based think tank Mercator Institute for China Studies.
