Reference News Network August 2 report - According to the German newspaper "Welt am Sonntag" website on July 31, there is now a third company in the world, besides Airbus and Boeing, that can produce a 190-seat passenger aircraft. This is not news for the Chinese. Western manufacturers are closely watching the certification process of China's COMAC C919 passenger aircraft by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Once certified, this Chinese passenger aircraft is expected to enter the European civil aviation market. However, COMAC's ambitions go beyond that. China now wants to join the ranks of the world's top aircraft manufacturers and build its own long-range jet airliner.

The report said that at the Paris Air Show in June, COMAC displayed three aircraft models on its booth: the C909 regional jet, the C919 medium-range mainline jet, and the C929 long-range wide-body jet. Even Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury mentioned during the air show that the duopoly in the civil aviation market may evolve into a three-way competition.

The challenger from the Far East has already proven that it can manufacture more than just aircraft models. Currently, COMAC has delivered over 160 C909s. The C919, which competes with the Airbus A320, has 21 in operation.

COMAC's representative in Paris said that the C929 can carry between 280 and 440 passengers and has a range of 12,000 kilometers; the C929 wide-body jet will use modern composite materials to reduce the weight of the fuselage and match Western manufacturers in efficiency and low emissions.

However, what surprised industry observers was China's desire to achieve 90% domestic content in the C929. To implement the C929 project, an aviation industry cluster composed of suppliers has emerged in Shanghai and Chengdu. In addition to COMAC, the China Aviation Engine Group also plays a core role in this project. The group is developing an engine called CJ2000, which has a maximum thrust of about 35 tons, sufficient to push large wide-body aircraft into the sky.

The report said that the intention of China to achieve 90% domestic content is similar to that of Europe half a century ago. At that time, Germany, France, and other countries jointly produced aircraft to get rid of dependence on the United States in the civil aviation sector. The result is today's global market leader, Airbus. Currently, China is striving to establish an independent industry in the civil aviation field.

Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ireland's Ryanair, said regarding the C919: "As long as it's cheap enough, 10% to 20% cheaper than Airbus, I will buy it."

According to the South China Morning Post website on July 31, Malaysian Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook said that the growth of the Southeast Asian aviation business, coupled with the backlog in aircraft deliveries from Airbus and Boeing, is prompting the region to take interest in China's C919 aircraft.

China is promoting the passenger aircraft produced by the Shanghai-based COMAC as an alternative to Airbus and Boeing.

Loke recently told the South China Morning Post that Malaysia's low-cost airline AirAsia and the newly established Borneo Airline have shown interest in COMAC's aircraft.

Loke said that airlines want to diversify their aircraft procurement and seek faster delivery and cheaper options.

He said: "The delivery cycle of Boeing and Airbus is currently very long. There is no doubt that COMAC is one of the aircraft manufacturers considered by airlines." He added: "AirAsia is interested in considering them... but nothing has been confirmed yet. I don't know the commercial negotiations."

A joint statement between Malaysia and China in April stated that both sides would "support Malaysian airlines introducing and operating Chinese commercial aircraft."

The report said that Zachary Abuzat, an expert on Southeast Asia at the U.S. National War College, said that China has been actively promoting the C919 in Southeast Asia.

He said: "Lao Airlines received the C909 regional jet, and the lease agreement for the C909 with Vietnam's VietJet Air has been reached." He added that COMAC is also negotiating with Indonesia's Lion Air on a C919 agreement.

He said: "China defines itself as a guardian of the status quo, a country committed to regional growth, integration, and prosperity. This may be enough for COMAC to finalize some deals."

Abuzat said that for airlines in the "large low-cost market" in Southeast Asia, the C919 is much cheaper than its competitors from Boeing and Airbus.

The C919 has not yet received certification from European aviation regulators. Loke said he expects the lack of EU certification to not be a problem for Southeast Asian airlines, as these companies are mostly seeking single-aisle narrow-body aircraft for domestic and regional flights in Southeast Asia, rather than long-haul flights to Europe.

He said that if Malaysia's airlines were to purchase COMAC aircraft, they would need approval from their national civil aviation authority. (Translated by Zhu Li, Wang Qing)

This photo was taken on June 17 at the 55th Paris Air Show held near Bourget Airport in France, showing the COMAC booth (Xinhua).

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7533895017350447668/

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