Air China and China Southern Airlines are set to become the second and third Chinese carriers to operate the domestically produced COMAC C919 passenger jet, with their first planes scheduled for delivery on Wednesday, according to state-run China Central Television.
Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC aims to establish a foothold in a passenger jet market currently dominated by Western giants Airbus and Boeing, a market that has been challenged by aircraft shortages and a recent Boeing safety crisis.
The C919 began domestic service in May last year with China Eastern, which currently operates seven of these jets on domestic routes.
China’s three major state-owned airlines have each placed orders for 100 C919s, and COMAC has reported that more than 1,000 orders have been received overall.
Last week, China Southern announced on the social media platform Weibo that it would integrate its first C919 into its fleet by Wednesday.
The C919, which can accommodate up to 192 passengers, competes with the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo.
This year, COMAC has increased its sales and production targets and has been actively marketing the C919 internationally, focusing on Southeast Asia and the expanding aviation market in Saudi Arabia. The company is also working on developing a wide-body aircraft design.
According to Zhongtai Securities, COMAC is expected to reach an annual production rate of 100 aircraft by around 2030, with total production exceeding 1,000 jets by 2035.
While Airbus delivered 735 commercial aircraft in 2023, industry experts caution that COMAC faces significant challenges in gaining a foothold in international markets, particularly without key certifications from the United States or European Union—which COMAC is actively seeking—or more fuel-efficient models.
