Exclusive | China begins work on new C939 widebody jet, going bigger and bolder after C919’s success
- Months after the launch of its narrowbody C919, China’s Comac has begun work on the C939, a new widebody jet poised to take on Boeing and Airbus
- Work continues on C929, the company’s other widebody, as C919 orders pour in and production facilities open to meet demand, further self-reliance goals
Having established its bona fides as a producer of commercial aircraft with the launch of the narrowbody C919, China has already begun work on the C939, a new widebody plane and the third in its series of home-grown airliners.
Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) – the state-owned manufacturer of the C919, which has already entered service on several domestic routes – has sketched out preliminary designs for the new craft, though it would be many years before these early concepts materialise into a testable prototype, a source familiar with the matter said.
Meanwhile, the C929 – Comac’s other in-development widebody plane designed to travel international routes of up to 12,000km (7,500 miles – is speculated to be on par with some aspects of mainstream competitors like Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, a second source said, adding progress is “in full swing”.
The second source confirmed that Russia had already pulled out of the programme, but dismissed concerns this would delay the aircraft’s debut.
