How China’s C919 jet reflects ambitions to skirt US restrictions and soar beyond global leaders

With the Boeing-Airbus duopoly in its sights, the maker of China’s home-grown narrowbody plane is courting Southeast Asia. But what challenges must be overcome?

C919 plays a key role in China’s pivot towards self-reliance and as it seeks to reduce imports of advanced technology amid intense geopolitical entanglements

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China’s C919 (left) and ARJ21 aircraft are seen at the Van Don International Airport this week as a two-week marketing campaign kicked off in Vietnam. Photo: Facebook/Van Don International Airport

Published: 8:00am, 3 Mar 2024Updated: 10:09am, 5 Mar 2024

Southeast Asia’s fast-growing aviation market looks to become a battleground for the maker of China’s home-grown C919 passenger jet – contending alongside the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing – as Chinese manufacturers bid to move up the global supply chain amid US restrictions.

Strong trade ties with China, and a still-rising post-Covid rebound in air travel that has resulted in new airlines and new routes, mean the region has become the No 1 target for the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) outside of its home market.

“There’s an untapped intra-Asian market within Southeast Asia that Comac can penetrate with the C919, even if it will be competing against very established jets such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 Max,” said Shukor Yusof, founder of aviation advisory firm Endau Analytics.

The C919 narrowbody passenger plane and the ARJ21 regional jet, both produced by Comac, are being flown and displayed as part of a two-week marketing campaign that kicked off in Vietnam on Tuesday. Comac also intends to carry out flight demonstrations in Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Although the C919’s first appearance at the Singapore Airshow on February 20 generated a lot of fanfare, analysts said it was only the beginning, pointing out that Comac still needs to invest more in the ability to service its planes.

“Time and a wider range of aircraft offerings, in terms of size and use, and a widespread base of certified operational centres as well as comfortable regulators” are still needed for Comac to secure more orders for its planes, said Andrew Charlton, managing director of Aviation Advocacy. “This is not something for this decade.”