China's homegrown wide-body C929 aircraft gets first intended user

A user framework agreement for the C929 passenger aircraft, China's first jet-type long-range wide-body aircraft independently developed in accordance with international airworthiness standards, was signed on Tuesday.

The agreement between the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) and Air China was signed at the ongoing 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China), which made Air China the first intended user of this aircraft type.

The baseline version of the C929 accommodates 280 seats with a range of 12,000 kilometers, effectively meeting the global demand for international and regional air passenger transport.

This is a fresh move for China, a massive civil aviation market with great potential, to enhance its competitiveness in the global aviation market.

The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight in May 2023, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. As of late September this year, COMAC had delivered nine C919 aircraft to three leading Chinese airlines. With its self-developed trunk jetliner, China aims to secure a share of the global civil aviation market, which Boeing and Airbus currently dominate.

According to a market forecast released by COMAC in late 2022, over the 2022-2041 period, China's civil aviation market will receive 9,284 new passenger jets, including 6,288 single-aisle jetliners.

Launched in 1996, Airshow China is the only international aerospace trade show approved by the Chinese central government, with support from Chinese aerospace industries. The show takes place biennially in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, featuring displays of actual products, trade talks, technological exchanges, and flying displays.