What does Boeing say about the competitive challenge from Chinese aircraft?

According to AFP news agency, the C919 narrow-body passenger aircraft manufactured by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) made its international debut at the Singapore Airshow this week. Appearing at Asia's largest air show, the C919 aircraft participated in both demonstrations and on display on the ground.

COMAC is aggressively promoting the C919 as a potential competitor to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 MAX.

Dave Schulte, Boeing's director of commercial marketing for the Asia-Pacific region, said the C919 has many similarities with narrow-body aircraft products from Boeing and Airbus. Mr. Schulte said that the first narrow-body passenger aircraft made in China could be a product that airlines in the region consider ordering.

The C919 aircraft was displayed at the Singapore Airshow on February 20 (Photo: Xinhua).

“It is an aircraft that we will start competing with, but each manufacturer has to find a way to prove the value and capability of the product to the airlines. I think COMAC itself has some challenges in the development process that they have to overcome to compete in the regional market,” Mr. Schulte said.

Mr. Schulte said that from now until 2042, Boeing estimates that the Southeast Asia region will need an additional 4,225 new aircraft and the US aircraft manufacturer is ready to compete with COMAC to attract customers.

Mr. Schulte said that the demand for new aircraft in Southeast Asia comes from increasingly popular low-cost airlines.

Boeing recently announced that Royal Brunei Airlines has ordered four 787s and Thai Airways has ordered 45 Dreamliners.

Shukor Yusof, an aviation analyst at Singapore-based consultancy Endau Analytics, said the Singapore Airshow debut was a good opportunity for Beijing to promote the C919, but finding a big-name international buyer would be difficult. He said it would be some time before the Chinese-made passenger jet received an order from a major international airline.

The C919 began commercial flights in China in May 2023 and made its debut outside mainland China in December 2023 when it was displayed in Hong Kong.

COMAC said it has sold 40 C919 aircraft to China’s Tibet Airlines. However, no foreign partners have yet placed orders for the C919.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/boeing-noi-gi-truoc-thach-thuc-canh-tranh-tu-may-bay-trung-quoc-192240222095659433.htm