MoUs for C929 inked in Paris

Domestic aircraft manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China has signed new memorandums of understanding with foreign suppliers for its wide-body C929 aircraft model during the 2025 Paris Air Show, indicating that COMAC has taken another step forward in its research and development process of the model.

Shanghai-based COMAC signed the deals with French aircraft equipment manufacturer Safran and US manufacturer Crane Co for the C929 model on Monday, the opening day of the airshow. With an expected flying range of about 12,000 kilometers and 280 seats, the C929 is currently in the design stage, COMAC said.

At COMAC's booth at the air show, the company is showcasing multiple aircraft models to visitors, including those of the C909, C919 and C929, as well as several derivative types, it said.

State-owned carrier Air China is expected to become the world's first airline to operate the C929, after it signed a framework agreement with COMAC during the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, in November.

"COMAC's signing of MoUs with Safran and Crane indicates that the C929 model has entered a stage of supplier selection, and COMAC has taken another step forward for the model's completion of R&D and entering the market," said Lin Zhijie, an independent civil aviation industry analyst.

According to COMAC, a total of 165 C909 regional aircraft, with seats ranging from 78 to 97 and a flying range of 2,225 km to 3,700 km, have been put into commercial operation by domestic and overseas carriers. The C909 represents a newly added name late last year for domestically developed regional jetliner ARJ21.

The C909's three overseas carriers in Southeast Asia — Lao Airlines, Vietjet Air and Indonesia's TransNusa Airlines — have altogether launched 15 routes operated by the model, connecting 18 cities.

In addition, the C919 single-aisle aircraft, with seats ranging from 158 to 192 and a flying range of 4,075 km to 5,555 km, has netted more than 1,000 orders from home and abroad. So far, 20 jets have been delivered to domestic carriers for commercial flights, and the model is accelerating its certification process in overseas markets.

"The successful commercial operation of the C919 has already broken the duopoly of the two major trunk line aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus. To enter the international market in the future and form a balanced situation among the three manufacturers, several major breakthroughs are needed," Lin said.

Specifically, it is necessary for COMAC to obtain airworthiness certification from the European Union or the United States and have mass production capabilities, besides showing safety operation records and improvement of the model's economic performance, he added.

In another development, COMAC has been endeavoring to develop green aircraft and is actively integrating itself into the sustainable development process of the global aviation industry. Now, both the C909 and C919 models have the capability to operate commercial flights using up to 50 percent of blended sustainable aviation fuel, COMAC said.

By 2043, China will overtake North America and Europe to become the world's largest market for aviation services. By then, China is expected to have 11,160 aircraft in service, of which 9,520 are new deliveries, including passenger aircraft and freighters, European aircraft manufacturer Airbus said in its latest global services forecast.

The country's civil aviation market has experienced rapid growth so far this year and transported 190 million passenger trips in the first quarter, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

This summer, the popularity of the matches of the Jiangsu Football City League, or "Suchao", as well as the upcoming opening of Legoland Shanghai in July, are foreseen to further boost the domestic tourism market. Industry insiders believe that the domestic air travel market will see an increase in both the volume of flight operations and prices.