BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese state aircraft maker COMAC aims to have its C919 jet fly commercial routes to Southeast Asia by 2026 as a first step to expand beyond its domestic market, a senior company official told Chinese media.
COMAC, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, is also pursuing European certification for the C919 as early as this year, Yang Yang, deputy general manager of the company’s marketing center, told Shanghai government news site Jemian in a recent interview.
China Eastern Airlines, the first operator of the C919, has included Hong Kong in its C919 route network from January 1, making the financial hub the first destination for the aircraft outside mainland China. Yang did not say whether COMAC was in discussions with airlines about flights to Southeast Asia or other overseas markets.
The C919 is also currently flown by Air China and China Southern Airlines.
Positioned as a competitor to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, the C919 currently flies only in China and must obtain international airworthiness certificates to enter the global market.
“We hope to increase the operational deployment of C919 aircraft in China to thoroughly identify any problems before expanding to Southeast Asia,” Yang said.
COMAC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Shanghai-based COMAC is keen to penetrate the Southeast Asian market before making a foray into Western markets, at a time when industry giants Boeing and Airbus are grappling with challenges such as supply chain and labor issues.
In 2024, COMAC delivered a total of 12 C919 aircraft to three state-owned airlines. The company said in 2023 that it expects the annual production capacity of C919 to reach 150 within five years.
(Reporting by Sophie Yu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Susan Fenton)
