Here are four Chinese commercial jets, from the ARJ21 and C919 to the giant C929 and C939.
State-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) has put two types of civilian jets into service and two larger aircraft on the drawing board after 22 years of research.
Comac aims to boost China’s technological self-sufficiency and sell its aircraft abroad. The Shanghai-based manufacturer wants to compete with Airbus and Boeing because its aircraft have similar specifications to some of the world’s aircraft giants’ models.
Here are profiles of each of the four aircraft types:
1. ARJ21 small aircraft
The ARJ21 (short for "advanced regional jet") is a turboprop aircraft, with a capacity of 78 to 97 seats, with a range of 2,225 to 3,700 km (1,382–2,299 mi) – enough to serve popular domestic routes in China.
The ARJ21 began development in 2002 and entered service in 2008. Regional carrier Chengdu Airlines began flying the aircraft – China’s first for civilian use – in 2015, and Indonesia’s TransNusa Airlines has been buying the aircraft since 2022. An estimated 100 have been sold in total.
According to market research organization CAPA Centre for Aviation, Comac reported a total of 200,000 flight hours for the aircraft as of March last year.
The ARJ21 is comparable in size to aircraft such as the discontinued Boeing 717, the discontinued McDonnell Douglas MD 80-90 and the Embraer E190-E2.
McDonnell Douglas was manufactured in Shanghai before its merger with Boeing in 1997, and Comac used MD90 tools to assemble the ARJ21. General Electric supplied twin CF34 engines for the Chinese plane, and Ukrainian aircraft maker Antonov designed the wings.
The Embraer planes that are still in service can carry 106 passengers, traveling up to 5,278km per trip.
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| China's C919 (left) and ARJ21 passenger planes parked at Van Don International Airport in Vietnam in early 2024. Photo: Facebook/Van Don International Airport |
2. C919 narrow-body aircraft
The C919 narrow-body aircraft can seat 158 to 192 people and fly 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers. After 15 years of research, the aircraft debuted in May 2023 as part of the China Eastern Airlines fleet. Comac has received at least 300 orders this year from major Chinese airlines.
Many of the C919's key components are believed to be made by American or European suppliers. The plane's engines, for example, are made by CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aerospace of the United States and Safran Aircraft Engines of France.
The C919 has the most similarities with the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 series.
The A320 can carry 140 to 180 passengers and fly 6,300km in one trip. The Boeing 737 can carry 138 to 230 passengers and fly 5,954 to 7,084km.
China's C919 passenger jet completes first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing
3. C929 wide-body aircraft
Comac says it is working on a twin-aisle plane, the C929, that could carry up to 290 passengers, flying as far as 12,000km on a single trip (the distance from Beijing to New York is about 11,000km).
Airlines could receive the aircraft as early as 2027.
Last month, the aircraft maker said it was looking for experts across multiple industries to build the C2929 aircraft with parts and technology made in China.
Eric Lin, head of China research at UBS in Hong Kong, said it was still unclear how Comac would source other parts for the aircraft.
According to a stock exchange filing, Comac has completed a deal to manufacture metals, composites and components for the C929 aircraft with Hunan Aerospace Huanyu Communication Technology for no more than $175 million.
Lin said the C929 will be similar to the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 in terms of maximum range. The A350 can carry 300 to 350 passengers on flights up to 15,000 kilometers. The Boeing 787 can fly 13,600 to 14,600 kilometers and carry 242 to 290 passengers.
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| A prototype of China's C929 passenger jet is displayed at Comac's Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute in March. Photo: Getty Images |
4. Giant aircraft C939
A source close to the planemaker said China has come up with a preliminary design for the giant plane, although it could take years for Comac to develop a prototype that can be tested.
Mayur Patel, Asia regional director of industry data platform OAG Aviation, said the C939 will be a wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner similar to the Boeing 777, with a capacity of 400 seats and a range of 13,000km.
The Boeing 777 can carry 301 to 368 passengers and fly 9,700 to 15,840km.
It's too early to know where Comac will get its components from, but China is working on its own engine for its first commercial turboprop aircraft, the CJ1000.
Richard Aboulafia, CEO of US-based aerospace consultancy AeroDynamic Advisory, said C939 deliveries would not be possible for at least another 10 years and would only be possible if Comac had “adequate resources” with most of the components imported.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/4-model-may-bay-co-the-hien-thuc-hoa-tham-vong-hang-khong-cua-trung-quoc-280650.html
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