China to unveil COMAC C919 at Singapore Air Show

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COMAC C919 will make its international trade event debut at the Singapore Airshow, showcasing its flying display capabilities.
So far, only Chinese airlines have ordered C919s, with Brunei-based Gallop Air signing an LoI for 15 C919 aircraft.
The Singapore Airshow is an important platform for manufacturers to showcase their products to airlines in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Civil Aviation Corporation of China (COMAC) plans to bring the C919, a rival to the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft families, to the upcoming Singapore Airshow event. The aircraft was scheduled to appear outside China shortly after the manufacturer displayed the jet by flying over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor.

C919 flight display

Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the matter, that COMAC C919 will participate in the show’s flying display. As of now, the event’s organizers have not yet published the flying exhibition program, and the site states that visitors should keep an eye out for the official announcement of the upcoming flying exhibition lineup at the event.

Photo: China Eastern Airlines

The Singapore Airshow is a biennial event, with the first airshow held in 2008 at Changi Air Base, just east of Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). The trade and public show will be held from February 20th to 25th this year. Flying exhibits are scheduled for the last two days, while the first three days are limited to industry professionals, including the media.

Many aircraft made their Asian debut at the event, including the 2008 Airbus A380, 2014 A350, and 2022 Boeing 777X. Meanwhile, the Singapore Airshow remains an important event for the industry and manufacturers as this event allows them to showcase their products to a direct audience, such as the Paris Airshow, Farnborough International Airshow and more recently the Dubai Airshow.

This includes Airbus and Embraer bringing their latest small single-aisle jets, such as the Airbus A220-300 and Embraer E190-E2, to the 2022 Singapore Airshow. Both manufacturers are eyeing orders from the region, with Embraer even announcing his E190 aircraft. E2 TechShark livery during the last event. In 2022, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer introduced the largest member of his E2 jet family, his E195-E2.

See in photos: Embraer’s new E2 Profit Hunter livery features sharks

Embraer will unveil Tech Shark at the upcoming Singapore Airshow.

Sales outside China

Meanwhile, this year’s Singapore Airshow will mark the trade event debut of COMAC C919. Although only Chinese airlines have ordered the A320neo and Chinese rivals in the 737 MAX aircraft family, some airlines in the region, such as Gallop Air, have expressed interest in the C919. The Brunei-based airline is backed by Chinese investors and is already awaiting first deliveries of COMAC ARJ21 jets, expected to arrive in the third quarter of 2024. In September 2023, Gallop Air signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for 30 aircraft, divided into 15 aircraft. ARJ21 and 15 C919.

Photo: Kailauf | Shutterstock

Indonesia-based Transnusa has two COMAC ARJ21 aircraft in its fleet and has also expressed interest in the C919. In August 2023, the company’s CEO Datuk Bernard Francis said the ARJ21 had exceeded the airline’s expectations, adding that Transnusa was interested in acquiring the C919.

After delivery in December 2022, the C919 operated its first commercial flight with China Eastern Airlines on May 28, 2023. COMAC delivered the second C919 to China Eastern Airlines in July 2023 and two additional C919s in December 2023. Four of them are currently actively flying, according to ch-aviation data.