Explainer | China’s 4 commercial jets unboxed: from the rebranded C909 to a futuristic C939
More details about China’s home-grown passenger planes emerge at Zhuhai air show, with new sales and lofty aviation ambitions on display
The state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) has signed a framework agreement at a major air show to sell its first C929, a widebody jet aeroplane akin to the Airbus 350 or Boeing 787.
An eventual delivery – the plane is still being developed – to flagship carrier Air China would put Comac’s third type of civilian jet into the air.
Meanwhile, Comac has formally rebranded its ARJ21 small plane as the C909 – bringing its designation in line with the planemaker’s naming convention for its passenger jets. And looking to the future, a fourth and even larger aircraft type is still being designed.
Comac aims to advance China’s goal of technological self-sufficiency while selling its aircraft overseas. The Shanghai-based manufacturer intends to eventually compete mainly with Airbus and Boeing, because their planes have similar specifications.
1. C909 small aircraft (formerly the ARJ21)
The C909 covers a series of turbofan aircraft with 78 to 97 seats for relatively short flights of 2,225 to 3,700km (1,382-2,299 miles) – far enough to service popular domestic routes in China.
