Aviation: China displays the 1st commercial plane made in the country – 02/20/2024 – Market

China presented this Tuesday (20) its first commercial aircraft manufactured in the country. The presentation was made at the Singapore fair, one of the biggest aviation events in Asia, and the Chinese intention is to attract buyers.

Beijing is challenging the historic hegemony of industry giants Airbus and Boeing with its C919 plane, while also trying to reduce its dependence on imported technology.

The model from Chinese manufacturer Comac is a potential competitor to the A320 from European Airbus and the 737 Max from American Boeing. The C919 made its first flight outside China in Singapore last Sunday (18) and will make daily flights during the six days of the fair.

The aircraft has been operating commercially in China since May, but it still has no buyers outside the country. The first order for the model went to Tibet Airlines, which signed a contract to acquire 40 units. A Comac spokesperson declined to reveal the amounts involved.

Aviation analyst Shukor Yusof, from Enday Analytics consultancy in Singapore, pointed out that it will be difficult to find major buyers for this model.

“There is a stigma with the ‘made in China’ brand in the airline industry, despite China being the world leader in the electric vehicle market,” the analyst said.