At this week’s Singapore Airshow, the state-owned aircraft manufacturer COMAC from China outperformed Airbus and Boeing in the industry by showcasing its in-house-developed C919 and ARJ21 jets as it seeks foreign orders and international certifications.

An advertisement on COMAC’s enormous stand in the middle of the show’s event hall declared it to be “A reliable new choice.”

Professionals from the aviation, government, and investment sectors flocked to its exhibit, indicating the keen interest of trade delegates in finding out more about a company that has had little exposure to the public outside of its home market to date.

For the first time, the C919, a competitor to the single-aisle Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX family of aircraft, took to the skies outside of China. Attendees of the show expressed their opinion that it was COMAC’s opportunistic comeback after the company grabbed headlines on Tuesday with an order for 50 planes from China’s Tibet Airlines.

When Boeing is battling a string of problems, including a mid-air panel blow-out in January, and the two leading Western aircraft manufacturers are resolving supply chain problems that have irritated airline customers, COMAC was able to capitalise on the opportunity.

Michael Szucs, CEO of Philippine low-cost airline Cebu Pacific, stated, “I generally absolutely welcome COMAC coming to the party,” noting that the Chinese company had dispatched a sizable delegation to the airline eight months prior.

“I’d rather it was a three horse race rather than a two horse race,” he stated.

However, the general consensus among professionals in the aviation industry gathered at the largest aviation gathering in Asia was that COMAC would mostly operate in China’s home market in the foreseeable future and that it would take a long time to establish itself as a viable competitor.

“I think people will take a second look because of all these delivery problems that Airbus and Boeing are having, but we have to be realistic because the C919 has not been certified by certain authorities so the call to action is limited,” said Subhas Menon, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.

Unlike Airbus and Boeing, COMAC declined to allow journalists to question executives during order announcements and declined to provide executives for interviews regarding the company’s show presence and other plans.

Chinese official media said that over 1,000 orders for the C919 had been placed thus far, most of them from Chinese airlines and lessors.

While there was interest in the model, according to aviation officials at the show, buyers and lessors wanted to see regulatory approval from the US and Europe. China is the only country to certify the plane’s design.

According to China’s aviation authority, the aircraft will be promoted globally this year and certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will be pursued.

Chinese-backed GallopAir, a recently established airline located in Brunei that has purchased 30 COMAC aircraft, including the first foreign C919 acquisition, told Reuters that it was collaborating with COMAC to obtain the necessary licences to begin operating the ARJ21 aircraft in Brunei.

However, managing director Cham Chi stated that Brunei’s C919 certification procedure would not begin for at least two to three years. “COMAC must run longer hours…We must wait until we are confident enough to give.”

TransNusa, an Indonesian low-cost airline, currently operates two ARJ21 aircraft, which are the predecessors to the C919 regional jet.

The CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, Christian Scherer, stated that while the European manufacturer welcomed the competition, the C919 appeared similar to Airbus and Boeing’s current models and would not significantly upset the status quo.

He told reporters, “It’s really not bringing any particular differentiation to the market.”

A Boeing representative praised COMAC’s competitiveness, calling it “good for the industry.”
The C919’s reliance on Western suppliers for essential parts like its engines and avionics systems presents another significant danger and puts it at risk from geopolitical issues, particularly if Beijing’s relations with Washington and Brussels deteriorate.

The same supply chain problems that are impeding production rates at its Western competitors, who enjoy considerably larger economies of scale and longer supplier relationships, also affect those parts.

Analysts predict COMAC will be working on indigenous alternatives for Western parts, but they believe it might take decades. COMAC has stated it will invest tens of billions of yuan over the next three to five years to enhance C919 production capacity.

“In my opinion, their airframe is more advanced, but their engine technology lags behind.” In an interview, Ewen McDonald, Chief Customer Officer for Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace division, stated that engine technology is quite challenging.

“They will need Western engines in the near term.”

The CFM International joint venture between GE and Safran provides the C919 engines, however the Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) is working on a local alternative, the CJ-1000A, which is not yet certified.

(Adapted from USNews.com)