China’s home-grown C929 widebody passenger jet enters ‘crucial’ development stage amid Beijing’s aviation push
- Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China official says the ‘overall technical scheme’ of the C929 ‘has been determined’
- Chinese fuselage manufacturer also says the first middle section of the widebody passenger jet would be delivered by September 2027
China’s home-grown C929 widebody passenger jet has entered “a crucial stage” of its development process, according to its manufacturer, amid Beijing’s continuous efforts for a strong presence in the aviation industry.
“It’s a crucial stage in the development process, which indicates the overall technical scheme of the aircraft has been determined,” Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) marketing director Zhang Xiaoguang told a science and technology innovation conference in Shanghai on Tuesday.
It would then be followed by the design and manufacturing of systems and components, he added.
The update came amid ongoing speculation since last year that Russia had dropped out of its partnership with Comac to develop the widebody airliner, which was formerly known as the CR929.
In 2017, Comac and Russian aerospace and defence company United Aircraft Corporation set up a joint venture in Shanghai to focus on building the CR929.
