Based on a recent report in the New Straits Times, it has been confirmed that China’s Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd or COMAC will be showcasing its C919 plane at Subang Airport tomorrow. The plane is on an ASEAN tour for a product showcase of the plane.
COMAC C919 is China’s latest home-grown airliner. Its other product, the ARJ21, is already in commercial use, and used by Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines in China, as well as TransNusa in Indonesia.
The plane participated in its first flying display outside of its home country at the Singapore Air Show last month.
What’s the difference between the C919, A320 & B737-8?
On the surface, not much. Both aircrafts are single-aisle narrow-body aircraft designed for short-haul routes flights, with distances up to 5,000km. The C919, like the Airbus A320, uses two engines mounted in pods underneath its wings. It is powered by the CFM International LEAP turbofan engines, similar to the Airbus A320 family. From nose to tail, the plane is 38.9 meters, 2 meters longer than the A320.
When compared to the 737 family, the C919 is longer by 40cm than the 737-8. Boeing’s plane is also taller by half a meter than COMAC’s. Both planes use the same CFM International LEAP turbofan engines, although the output on the COMAC variant is slightly higher to account for the heavier Chinese plane.
The COMAC C919 can fit up to 168 passengers in a single class or 158 in a two-class configuration. The Airbus A320 meanwhile can fit up to 194 seats, while the Boeing 737-8 can go up to 210 seats – all in a single-class configuration.
Even though the plane is built in China, parts that are installed in the plane are made all over the world. It has components from multiple companies in China that are joint ventures with international companies such as Thales (in-flight entertainment) and Honeywell (flight controls). So, it is assumed that the plane is ‘modern’ and not reusing old components.
Who are the potential customers in Malaysia?
Right now, none of the airlines in Malaysia have any C919 on order, hence the showcase tour by COMAC. Potentially, Malaysia Aviation Group, the parent company of Malaysia Airlines and Firefly may be a potential customer. While they have a big order with Airbus, AirAsia is also another potential customer for the C919.
A reason that COMAC is trying to court customers here is that local carriers are part of the huge backlog that Airbus and Boeing have and will have to wait for their turn to arrive before receiving their planes – which can take years. For example, Malaysia Airlines ordered the Boeing 737 Max 8 way back in 2016 but only received the first of 25 planes last November.
The only ASEAN airline that has ordered the C919 is a new start-up based in Brunei, Gallop Air. The company has a combined order for 30 aircraft comprising the C919 and ARJ21. The Airline plans to run regional flights with the C919.
The COMAC C919 will stop in Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia besides Malaysia.
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