Oct 31, 2024 03:56 AM
BUSINESS
China’s Comac Global Expansion Plans Take Off with New Singapore Office
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Comac Asia-Pacific Office in Singapore.
China’s commercial aviation ambitions took a significant leap as its state-owned aircraft manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd. (Comac) opened its Asia-Pacific office in Singapore Tuesday, to promote domestic aircrafts like the ARJ21 and C919 internationally.
The new office will serve as a hub for coordinating with airlines, maintenance providers, suppliers and other partners across the Asia-Pacific region, the company said. Comac’s director Tan Wangeng emphasized that the Singapore office will bring the company closer to international customers.
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- Comac opened its Asia-Pacific office in Singapore to expand international presence for its ARJ21 and C919 aircrafts, with TransNusa being its first overseas customer operating international flights.
- The ARJ21 has flown over 500,000 hours, serving 17 million passengers, with plans to expand operations; 148 ARJ21s are delivered, while the C919 began commercial flights in 2023, expecting to deliver 15 aircraft by 2024's end.
- Comac faces challenges with airworthiness certification from Europe and the U.S., impacting market expansion; discussions for mutual recognition agreements are ongoing.
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Who’s Who
- Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd.
- Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd. (Comac) is a state-owned aircraft manufacturer based in China. It recently opened its Asia-Pacific office in Singapore to promote its domestic aircraft, such as the ARJ21 and C919, internationally. Comac plans to expand the usage of the ARJ21 and aims to deliver more C919s by 2025. The company is also developing the C929 wide-body jet but faces challenges with airworthiness certification from European and U.S. regulators.
- TransNusa
- TransNusa, founded in 2005, faced operational challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to its acquisition by China Aircraft Leasing Group Holding Ltd. This enabled TransNusa to adopt Comac's aircraft, although it's not considered a fully foreign airline. It received its first ARJ21 in December 2022 and recently operated the first international ARJ21 flight between Manado, Indonesia, and Guangzhou, China.
- China Aircraft Leasing Group Holding Ltd.
- China Aircraft Leasing Group Holding Ltd. acquired a controlling interest in TransNusa during the Covid pandemic, facilitating the airline's adoption of Comac aircraft. This acquisition contributed to TransNusa becoming an early adopter, although it does not classify the carrier as a truly foreign airline due to this ownership structure.
- China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd.
- China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd. began commercial operations with Comac's C919 in May 2024. Since then, the aircraft has logged 13,000 flight hours and carried 700,000 passengers. Despite these operational achievements, the daily utilization rate of the C919 still lags behind other narrow-body aircraft fleets.
- Air China Ltd.
- Air China Ltd. received its first C919 delivery from Comac in August, although these aircraft have not yet entered service. The company is one of the Chinese airlines positioned to integrate the C919 into their fleets as Comac continues its expansion plans.
- China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd.
- China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd. received its first C919 aircraft in August, although it has not yet entered service. The company is part of Comac's plans to expand the use of its flagship C919 narrow-body jet, which began commercial operations in 2024.
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What Happened When
- 2022-12：
- Indonesian carrier TransNusa received its first regional jet ARJ21.
- May 2024：
- The C919 began commercial operations with China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd.
- August 2024：
- Air China Ltd. and China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd. each received their first C919 deliveries.
- 2024-10-29：
- Comac opened its Asia-Pacific office in Singapore.
- 2024-10-29：
- TransNusa operated the first international flight with the ARJ21 between Manado, Indonesia, and Guangzhou, China.
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