Can China’s plane-maker take on Boeing and Airbus?
Comac
has bigger ambitions for the C919.
Seating up to 168 people,
China’s first large passenger jet
is designed to compete with
Boeing’s 737 Max
Airbus’s A320neo.
Its third test flight was completed in December and first deliveries are scheduled for 2021.
data from consultancy Frost & Sullivan
shows the firm has received nearly 1,000 commitments for the C919,
mostly from Chinese airlines and domestic leasing firms.
The order book includes the country’s
three major carriers
Air China,
China Southern
China Eastern.
Still, some remain sceptical that Comac will hit its 2021 target given the problems that surrounded its first plane.
Teal Group’s Mr Aboulafia
says there is a “serious risk” that by the time the C919 enters service Airbus and Boeing will have far better models on offer.
Comac is also developing the CR929, a wide-body aircraft with a range of 12,000km that seats 280 passengers.
BBC News