Chinese aircraft manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) plans to expand its C919 jet production capacity this year, raising the number of units to 75, according to information presented to suppliers during a conference held this week in Xian.
The C919 is the first Narrowbody jet developed and manufactured in China, and Comac has sought to consolidate it as an alternative to Boeing and Airbus medium-range models in the domestic market.
The new goal represents an increase over the company’s previous projection, which had announced in January the production of 50 aircraft to 2025. The company also reported that it intends to reach an annual production of 200 units of the model by 2029.
The information was released by an account specializing in Comac’s supply chain on the Wechat platform. The content was widely reproduced by Weibo users, an X -like Chinese microblog network (former Twitter), based on reports from conference participants.
According to the planning released at the event, the C919 production capacity should be elevated to 100 units by 2026. The company’s intermediate goal is to reach 150 units per year by 2029, before reaching the ceiling of 200 annual aircraft planned in the long -term industrial plan.
Comac, based in Shanghai, did not officially publish the data in its institutional account at Wechat and did not respond to requests for confirmation from the press.
During the conference, it was also informed that the annual acquisition costs of the C919 program increased 70% over the previous period. The estimate for this year is an approximate value of 34 billion yuans, the equivalent of about $ 4.7 billion, according to the data shared at the event.
The C919 program is considered strategic for China in the aeronautical sector and has received institutional support as part of the development effort of the national commercial aviation industry. The narrowbody model is directed to the medium -range flight segment, the same in which the main models of the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 operate.
The expansion of Comac’s productive capacity occurs amid increased domestic demand for air transport and the search for greater technological independence in the sector. The company has strengthened its network of national and international suppliers to meet the planned production goals.
Information on the increase in program operating costs was also accompanied by data on the expansion of the infrastructure required to support the new pace of production. No details were disclosed about new contracts or industrial partnerships.
The C919 held its first commercial flight in May 2023 by China airline Eastern Airlines. The company is, so far, the main operator of the model, which already integrates its regular fleet of domestic flights.
Comac’s expectation is to expand its customer base in the country and, later, to seek international certifications that allow the model to be marketed in other markets.
With the forecast of acceleration in the pace of manufacture, Comac reinforces its insertion strategy in the commercial aviation segment, still globally dominated by the American and European groups.
C919 large -scale production consolidation also depends on the company’s ability to maintain the supply chain at adequate levels of supply and quality. This week’s conference addressed logistics and financial aspects related to the operation of the production chain.
The company did not present new deadlines for the start of exports to the model or information about possible negotiations with airlines outside China.
Wide -scale production of the C919 is considered one of the main axes of the Chinese government’s long -term plan to strengthen the high -tech national industry. The performance of the program will be accompanied by sector authorities and civil aviation agents in the coming years.
With information from SCMP
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2025/03/21/gigante-chinesa-anuncia-aumento-de-50-na-capacidade-de-producao-do-jato-c919-em-2025/
