Is China ready to take on Airbus and Boeing? Not just yet  

TO HEAR it said on social media, China is going to be the next top aircraft manufacturer, all set to sweep away the likes of Europe’s Airbus and America’s Boeing. It’s true that both Western aircraft manufacturers are beset with problems, with huge delivery backlogs. Airbus has admitted to “persistent specific supply chain issues mainly in engines, aerostructures and cabin equipment”. Boeing’s woes are well-known. The firm is facing financial as well as technical problems and will axe 10 per cent of its workforce. Both firms are being investigated for false regulatory filing related to the authentication of aerospace-grade titanium parts. But does all this mean the end for Airbus and Boeing is nigh? Not just yet.

To be clear, China is making great strides in the commercial aerospace industry. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) launched its first medium-range airliner, dubbed C919, in May 2023 as a competitor to the Airbus 320 and the Boeing 737, suitable for flights of up to four or five hours. Since then, the C919 jetliner has reportedly garnered over 300 orders from Chinese airlines.

One of its selling points is that it is more environmently friendly than its European and American counterparts. Comac designed its C919 with environmental sustainability as an objective – the jet made its first commercial flight on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in September. The biofuel can be made from algae or agricultural, forestry, food or even municipal waste. It is claimed to cut carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with petroleum-based jet fuel. It has been reported that GallopAir, a Brunei-based startup airline, has placed an order for the C919. Vietnam Airlines, Indonesia’s TransNusa, Air Asia and Brazil’s Total Linhas Aereas have expressed interest.