[BEIJING] Comac, China’s homegrown planemaker, has slashed delivery targets for its flagship C919 jet by two-thirds, according to sources familiar with the matter, setting back its ambitions to compete with Boeing and Airbus.
Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, as the company is formally known, now aims to deliver about 25 of its single-aisle jets this year, down from previous expectations for 75, said the sources, asking not to be identified discussing information that’s private.
Such a large revision underscores the setback Comac’s manufacturing aspirations have taken. The Chinese aircraft maker is seeing bottlenecks in virtually all key parts of its supply chain, hampering its ability to produce jets at a steady pace, the sources said.
Representatives for Comac did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The challenges facing Comac this year have included a temporary export halt on crucial engine parts made by GE Aerospace when the US stopped export permits in July. Comac is deeply dependent on US suppliers, with critical avionics, flight-control systems and engines sourced from American firms including Honeywell International, GE Aerospace and Parker-Hannifin.
There are signs that these supply difficulties may have caught Comac by surprise. The planemaker actually increased its delivery target earlier this year, from an original 50 to 75 aircraft, the sources said, amid optimism orders would come in from places further afield like the Middle East or carriers in Vietnam.
Shanghai-based Comac has only delivered five C919s so far this year, to China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Air China, and one to an internal subsidiary that does charter flights. The so-called ‘Big Three’ Chinese airlines had expected delivery of some 32 of the C919 jets in 2025 between them.
The C919 is meant to take on the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 Max. But so far, it has not secured airworthiness certification from regulatory bodies outside of China, such as the US Federal Aviation Administration or its European counterpart.
While domestic sales commitments from Chinese carriers for the C919 jet, a 158- to 192-seater aircraft, have been brisk, Comac also has not managed to find buyers in South and South-east Asia despite intensified efforts. BLOOMBERG
