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By Fukutaro Yamashita / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent
15:04 JST, October 13, 2024
BEIJING — China is developing a new passenger jet, C929, following the launch of its domestic narrowbody passenger jet C919 last spring, in the hopes of entering the global mid-sized and large aircraft market, which is currently dominated by U.S. firm Boeing Co. and Europe’s Airbus SE.
However, Russia, amid its aggression against Ukraine, has been unable to cooperate with China as a joint development partner, and it is uncertain whether China can become an aeronautical superpower on its own.
The C929 is expected to have 280 seats with a maximum travel distance of 12,000 kilometers, which is about 1.1 times the distance between Tokyo and New York, both significantly more than the C919. The first C929 is expected to be delivered in 2028 or 2029.
The concept for the C929 was first formulated in the early 2010s.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin visited China in 2016, he agreed to make it a joint project between the state-owned manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC) and a Russian company.
Production of a prototype was said to have already started. However, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2022 was a turning point.
A COMAC executive told Chinese media that China was working on the project on its own but did not provide any details. The Chinese manufacturer apparently deemed that if Russia remains involved in the project, it will become difficult to receive engine components from Western companies due to security concerns. It would also make it difficult to sell the aircraft overseas.
In its industrial policy that was announced in 2015, called Made in China 2025, the Chinese government positioned the aviation and space industries as priorities. As a result, China has been supporting the development of domestic passenger aircraft.
In 2016, COMAC put the 90-seat jet ARJ21 into practical use. Last year, the 160-seat mid-sized jet C919 debuted, and more than 10 aircraft are in operation.
The C919 has received more than 1,000 orders as mainstay aircraft, with most of the orders coming from Chinese airlines. Airlines in Brunei and Brazil plan to order about 10 in total.
However, for China to be able to begin exporting its aircraft on a full-fledged scale, they have to undergo rigorous testing that guarantees its safety and be certified by European and U.S. authorities.
The C919 completed its application to European authorities in 2017, but screenings are still ongoing. No such applications are said to have been sent to U.S. authorities.
“It’s unlikely that Europe and the United States will grant permission to their rival so soon,” an Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry official said.
Boeing has seen a significant drop in orders for its mainstay 737 MAX due to quality issues following a series of accidents, and the two-power structure of the United States and Europe is beginning to waver.
“A country’s political power has a significant impact on its overseas sales of aircraft,” said J. F. Oberlin University Prof. Hajime Tozaki. “To improve its competitiveness, China will probably increase its sales and operational experience in countries it has close ties with, before looking to expand sales in Europe and the United States.”
