C919 jet to make Middle East debut at Dubai Airshow

China's domestically developed C919 passenger jet is poised to make its Middle East debut at the Dubai Airshow, running from Nov 17 to Nov 21, as its manufacturer continues to seek overseas buyers for the aircraft model.

Two single-aisle C919 planes and one C909 business jet will be on display during the event, according to Shanghai-based Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, the developer of the aircraft models.

At this year's airshow, COMAC joins over 1,500 exhibitors, with the event anticipated to draw more than 148,000 attendees. On Monday, a C919 jet landed at Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport, after a stopover in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

"Expanding into overseas markets is the next milestone for the C919. Given both internal and external environments, the aircraft's first international commercial flight is likely to take place in partner countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative," said Qi Qi, a senior independent civil aviation industry analyst.

"Airlines in Southeast Asia and the Middle East are regarded as having the highest potential to acquire the C919. This is why COMAC places great emphasis on the 2025 Dubai Airshow," Qi said.

To date, the C919, a narrow-body jet comparable to the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 series, has secured more than 1,000 orders from home and abroad. As the global air travel market maintains steady growth, the C919 is looking to meet growing travel demand while breaking the long-standing market duopoly of Boeing and Airbus.

Qi added that COMAC aims to enable more potential buyers to get up close to China's home-developed passenger jet and experience its quality, thereby creating favorable conditions for the C919 to serve overseas markets.

The C919 has entered a phase of regular commercial operation domestically. As of May 28, the model marked its second anniversary for commercial service, with 18 jets delivered to State-owned carriers Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines. These aircraft handled over 2 million passenger trips over the two-year period, according to COMAC.

On Friday, an Air China-operated C919 undertook its maiden passenger service on the Beijing-Hong Kong route and was greeted with a water cannon salute upon touching down at Hong Kong International Airport — a time-honored tradition that airports use to mark special occasions.

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association recently released global passenger demand data for September. Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers, rose 3.6 percent year-on-year. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers, increased by 3.7 percent from the same period last year.

"Solid international demand drove 90 percent of September's overall growth. With November flight schedules indicating a 3 percent expansion on the previous year, airlines are gearing up for continued growth into the year-end holiday season. This is despite the severe constraints of unresolved supply chain issues," said Willie Walsh, IATA's director-general.