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More interest in home-grown C919 lays bare demand-supply mismatch at Comac
Parts shortage and supply chain production remain a problem and may be about more than just aero engines, industrial veteran says
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Frank Chenin Shanghai
More Chinese carriers are willing to operate home-grown aircraft, especially the C919, if more can roll off the assembly line faster, but the demand-supply mismatch means it is now a trying time for the country’s leading planemaker, according to industrial insiders.
They added that a parts shortage facing the manufacturer may be more than about aero engines.
Executives from at least two airlines told an aviation forum held in Guangzhou on Thursday and Friday that they would welcome the marquee Chinese narrowbody model to join their fleets.
“Shenzhen Airlines hopes to fly the C919 in the near future, but, for now, supply chain issues and production speed remain a stumble,” said Xiong Taotao, the carrier’s deputy president overseeing engineering and technology. Shenzhen Airlines is China’s fifth largest by fleet size, with Airbus products currently making up the bulk.
At the same event, directors from Zhejiang-based Loong Air, one of the fastest growing carriers in China, also indicated their “strong interest” in the C919 as the firm aims to expand and diversify its fleet asset.
These overtures from prospective buyers in the home market have again thrust production and capacity at the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) back into the limelight at the Guangzhou forum.
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