Business & Economy

China to promote home-grown passenger jet in 5 Southeast Asian countries

Shanghai, China, Feb 27 (EFE).- China’s homegrown airliner Comac will conduct test flights of its C919 passenger plane in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia to promote the aircraft in Southeast Asia, the company said on Tuesday.

The C919, which aims to compete with the Airbus 320 and the Boeing 737, is China’s biggest bet in the aeronautical sector as it falls within the narrow-body aircraft segment, which currently accounts for over half of all commercial flights worldwide.

C919 will start its tour on Tuesday from Van Don airport in northeast Vietnam and will cover other countries over two weeks, the company said.

Along with the C919, the smaller ARJ21 model, also manufactured by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) will take part in the tour.

The C919, which began flying last year with the Chinese company, China Eastern Airlines, can accommodate between 158 and 192 passengers.

Meanwhile, the ARJ21, which obtained its first international buyer at the end of 2022, the Indonesian TransNusa, can carry between 78 and 90 passengers.

Both the models were exhibited at the Singapore Airshow last week, the first time they were displayed outside China.

In January, the Civil Aviation Administration of China announced that it would promote international recognition of the C919 and aim to obtain certifications from organizations such as the European Aviation Safety Agency this year.

While the C919 uses Western components, it represents China’s effort to reduce its dependence on Western manufacturers in aircraft technology and the long-term goal of developing a fully indigenous supply chain.

According to Comac’s forecasts, the number of civil passenger aircraft will double worldwide in the next two decades to over 51,000.

Demand from the Asia-Pacific region is expected to rise from around 3,300 units to around 9,700 in this period. EFE

vec/up/pd

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