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The Chinese manufacturer Comac claims to have received no less than 300 orders for the aircraft, the very first medium-haul aircraft designed by China. But for now, the plane that has accumulated delays will have a lot to do to compete with manufacturers Airbus and Boeing.
It may be a “significant milestone” for the ambitious aviation industry, as China’s state television CCTV proclaims. On images broadcast this Friday, December 9, the public could see a copy of the C919 parked on the runway of Shanghai airport. It is flanked by the logo of China Eastern, one of the three major Chinese companies, 61% owned by the state. Three others must be delivered by the end of the year to the company.
New competitor of Airbus?
But for the moment, the one presented as the new competitor to the best-selling Airbus and Boeing in the single-aisle segment has still not obtained approvals to operate in Europe or America. It is therefore in the Chinese sky that he must try to cut cruppers for the giants A320neo and Boeing 737max.
And even in China’s crippled traffic market, that won’t be an easy task. Comac currently only claims 300 orders.
Orders abroad
At the same time, the first four Chinese companies are multiplying requests for purchases abroad from the two competitors. According to the latest forecasts from the European manufacturer, some 40,000 new planes planned for the next 20 years, almost a quarter are destined for China.
► To read also: China: the first Chinese medium-haul C919 presented to the public