Own passenger aircraft C919
China challenges Airbus and Boeing
December 13, 2023, 1:52 p.m
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“Important milestone” for China’s aviation sector: This is how Beijing’s first passenger jet, the C919, is being touted. This should be able to compete with Airbus and Boeing in the future.
China has presented its own C919 passenger jet to international media representatives for the first time, with which the People’s Republic wants to compete with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus and Boeing from the USA and at the same time reduce its dependence on foreign technology. The Chinese-made aircraft, which completed its maiden commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing in May, was presented at Hong Kong airport on Wednesday. Two sightseeing flights over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor are planned for Saturday.
Hong Kong Prime Minister John Lee hailed the C919 as an “important milestone” for China’s aviation sector at a ceremony at the international airport. The successful development of a large passenger aircraft symbolizes the People’s Republic’s “leading position” in the transport industry.
China is betting that the model produced by the state-owned company Comac, which received official flight approval last year after more than a decade of development, can compete with the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320. The C919 offers space for 158 to 192 seats and has a range of 5,555 kilometers.
Officials also highlighted the machine’s “advanced aerodynamic design” as well as its “state-of-the-art propulsion system” and materials used, which are said to result in lower emissions and better fuel efficiency. So far, there have been 1,061 orders from more than 30 customers for the passenger aircraft produced in China, some of whose components come from abroad.
Asia and especially China are also important markets for Airbus and Boeing, which want to benefit from the growing demand for air travel from the country’s emerging middle class. At the beginning of the year, Airbus announced plans to double its production capacity in China and signed a contract to build a second production line for the A320 model at its plant in Tianjin.