China’s home-grown C919, ARJ21 aircraft need more support, manufacturer says, as Boeing 787 Dreamliner returns
- Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, which makes the C919 and ARJ21, asks for increased policy support at home and help to certify its aircraft to fly overseas
- On Friday, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner owned by Juneyao Airlines landed in Shanghai, marking the first direct delivery of the widebody aircraft to China since 2019
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A look inside China’s home-grown civilian passenger jets, the ARJ21 and C919
China’s domestic aircraft manufacturer preceded the arrival of Boeing’s first direct delivery of a 787 Dreamliner to the country since 2019 by calling for more support to boost the market presence of its home-grown airliners at home and abroad.
“China’s home-grown planes are still in the market introduction stage, and we suggest the government increase policy support for their development, which would be centred on purchases and uses of domestically produced aircraft, and research on incentives to airlines and airports,” said Zhou Xinmin, president of the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac).
“Meanwhile, we need to further enhance the aircraft airworthiness certification capabilities, to support domestic-made airliners to go [overseas],” he said at a meeting held by the Civil Aviation Administration of China on Thursday.
Comac designed and manufactured China’s first home-grown narrowbody passenger, the C919, as well as the ARJ21 regional equivalent.
China is increasing its push for aviation technology self-reliance, but it is hard to challenge the dominance of Airbus and Boeing, which are expanding their Chinese fleets.
Juneyao Airlines, one of China’s largest private airlines, took delivery of its newest widebody 787 Dreamliner from Boeing on Thursday and it landed in Shanghai on Friday afternoon.
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A closer look at China’s C919 jet Victoria Harbour flyover
