Comac's C919 airliner is China’s preeminent civil aerospace program and the November 11 to 16 Airshow China in Zhuhai is the country’s leading biennial air show. So, through Western eyes at least, it might seem reasonable to assume that the event would provide state controlled-Comac with a prime opportunity to convince the world that the C919 can compete with the Boeing 737 Max and the Airbus A320neo.
Early indicators from the show were encouraging, as China Merchants Bank ordered 30 more of the new narrowbody (to add to the 10 it ordered at the 2012 Zhuhai show, and the 10 it ordered two years earlier). However, Comac's confirmation of the deal in a statement to wire services amounted to virtually all the interaction its officials would have with the media at this year’s show. The order does not appear on the website of either company and the most recent news released by Comac about the C919 is a 132-word statement issued on October 30, giving minimal information about the delivery of the forward section of the aircraft’s first aft fuselage. At the show, AIN's reporters found that, despite scheduling a press conference, Comac was unwilling to provide updated information on a program that has repeatedly fallen behind schedule and whose latest schedules call for a first flight by the end of 2015 and service entry in 2018.
Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.
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