Brunei Adopts China’s Aircraft Certification Standards in Boost for COMAC
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A C919 aircraft
Brunei has formally adopted China’s airworthiness standards for aircraft certification, expanding market access for Chinese-made jets such as the C909 and C919 in Southeast Asia.
In a recent update, Brunei’s Department of Civil Aviation (DAC) announced it now recognizes certification standards from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), previously accepting only those from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation.
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- Brunei now recognizes China’s airworthiness standards, allowing Chinese-made jets like the C909 and C919 market access in Southeast Asia.
- As of October 2025, 171 C909s have been delivered (162 in service) and flown more than 800,000 hours, serving 28 million passengers across 14 international routes.
- COMAC’s fleet expansion includes medical, emergency, and firefighting aircraft; the larger C929 is in detailed design with Air China as its launch customer.
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Who’s Who
- Commercial Aircraft Crop. of China Ltd.
- Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd. (COMAC) is a state-owned manufacturer of Chinese-made jets like the C909 and C919. It has been expanding its market reach, with Brunei formally adopting China's airworthiness standards, opening doors for COMAC aircraft in Southeast Asia. COMAC also opened an Asia-Pacific office in Singapore in October 2024.
- Shaanxi Tianju Investment Group Co. Ltd.
- Shaanxi Tianju Investment Group Co. Ltd. is a Chinese company that backs Brunei’s start-up carrier Gallop Air. Gallop Air plans to use COMAC’s C909 and C919 aircraft as its primary fleet and signed a $2 billion purchase agreement for 30 planes in September 2023.
- Gallop Air
- Gallop Air, a Brunei-based startup backed by China's Shaanxi Tianju Investment Group, plans to make COMAC's C909 and C919 aircraft its primary fleet. In September 2023, the airline committed to a $2 billion purchase for 30 aircraft. It aims to connect Brunei with major cities across China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. In December 2024, it flew its inaugural flight between Guangzhou and Bandar Seri Begawan using a leased C909. However, Gallop Air has not yet received its ordered aircraft from COMAC or launched regular operations.
- China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd.
- China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd. leased a C909 to Gallop Air for its inaugural flight between Guangzhou and Bandar Seri Begawan in December 2024. The C909 is a Chinese-made jet that has faced challenges in obtaining international certification.
- Lao Airlines
- Lao Airlines operates two C909 aircraft. In April 2025, the airline marked the commercial debut of the C909 on routes between Vientiane and southern Laos, showcasing the aircraft's use by a foreign carrier with Chinese investment ties.
- VietJet Air
- VietJet Air, a Vietnamese airline, briefly used wet-leased C909s. However, they returned these aircraft in October due to high maintenance costs and local regulatory limits, despite the C909s having no performance issues.
- TransNusa
- Indonesia's TransNusa operates five units of the C909 aircraft. This makes them one of the three foreign carriers, out of a total of twelve, that currently fly the C909.
- Air China Ltd.
- Air China Ltd. is confirmed as the global launch customer for COMAC's wide-body aircraft, the C929. This indicates their role in introducing the C929 to the market once it completes detailed design and certification.
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What Happened When
- 2014：
- The C909 received its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
- 2017：
- The C909 received production approval.
- September 2023：
- Gallop Air signed a $2 billion purchase agreement for 30 COMAC aircraft.
- October 2024：
- COMAC opened a dedicated Asia-Pacific office in Singapore.
- December 2024：
- Gallop Air flew its inaugural flight between Guangzhou and Bandar Seri Begawan using a leased C909.
- By 2025：
- Brunei’s Department of Civil Aviation announced formal recognition of China’s CAAC airworthiness standards.
- 2025：
- China’s C909 received an airworthiness certificate from Brunei.
- 2025：
- No formal mutual recognition agreements between China and Western aviation regulators have been reached as of this year.
- As of 2025：
- Gallop Air has not yet received its aircraft from COMAC nor launched regular operations.
- April 2025：
- Lao Airlines completed the C909’s commercial debut on routes between Vientiane and southern Laos.
- October 2025：
- Vietnam's VietJet Air returned the wet-leased C909 aircraft.
- October 2025：
- A C909 water-drop demonstration was held in Nanchang.
- October 1 to 27, 2025：
- C909s flown by three overseas carriers completed 658 flights across 14 international routes.
- As of late October 2025：
- 171 C909s had been delivered, with 162 in commercial service.
- As of 2025：
- The C909 logged over 800,000 flight hours and carried more than 28 million passengers.
- 2025：
- The C919 completed over 600 commercial flight hours and carried more than 3 million passengers.
- 2025：
- The C929 entered detailed design and certification, with Air China Ltd. as its global launch customer.
AI generated, for reference only
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