Which airlines use the Comac C919?
SINGAPORE—Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines are expecting a combined 33 Comac C919 deliveries in 2026, which would be a significant increase on the 15 aircraft the state-owned carriers received in 2025. In their respective fiscal 2025 reports, Air China and China Eastern. Since entering commercial service with China Eastern in 2022, 18 C919 airplanes operated by Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern now fly over 20 routes. By May 2025, they’ve logged 36,000 safe flight hours and carried 2.The jet, manufactured by Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, made its first test flight on May 5, 2017. The first C919 was delivered in December 2022 and officially entered commercial service in May 2023, with a flight from Shanghai to Beijing.
Who supplies COMAC engines?
COMAC’s C919 made its first commercial flight in May 2023 after 15 years of development, challenging the Airbus-Boeing duopoly. The aircraft relies heavily on Western suppliers (CFM engines, Honeywell, Collins) despite Chinese branding. The C919, which took its maiden flight in 2017, has operated with Chinese domestic airlines since May 2023, with China Eastern Airlines as the launch customer. It flew outside mainland China for the first time in 2024 on a Hong Kong charter flight.
Who are the competitors of Comac C919?
Its state-owned planemaker, Comac, developed the C919 jet to directly compete with the workhorses of the aviation world, the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 series. Chinese-backed GallopAir, based in Brunei, has a US$2 billion deal to buy 30 COMAC aircraft, including the single-aisle C919 jet. The C919 competes directly with Airbus’ A320 and Boeing’s 737 aircraft, and COMAC is keen to market the model to foreign buyers.