The aeronautical sector has become another battlefield of commercial tension between Washington and Beijing. The Comac C919, the first narrow fuselage commercial plane developed completely in China, is gaining traction in Southeast Asia while Boeing and Airbus fight against delays in their deliveries.
An opportunity born from despair. Malasia has confirmed that Airsia and Air Borneo are valuing C919 as an alternative to Western manufacturers. It is no accident: the waiting lists to receive Boeing and Airbus airplanes extend years, and the airlines desperately seek to diversify their suppliers. Malay Transport Minister Anthony Loke summarized it thus: “All airlines look for faster deliveries and cheaper options. COMAC is one of the manufacturers they are considering.”
The Chinese pride Achilles heel. Despite its ambition, the C919 drags a critical dependence on US components that could be lethal. LEAP-1C engines (manufactured by the Joint Venture between GE and Safran), Honeywell’s navigation systems, the rockwell collins meteorological radar and multiple critical components come from the United States.
Tariffs and prohibitions. The tariff climb has raised the cost of the US components to make them almost unfeasible. Just a couple of months ago, China applied tariffs of up to 145% in response to tariffs applied by Trump, shortly before the 90 -day truce that both countries occurred. At the same time, Beijing has prohibited its airlines from acquiring US suppliers equipment, although this restriction does not yet affect manufacturers as Comac.
The race against time towards autonomy. China has not been still in this critical situation. And it develops the CJ-1000A engine through AECC as a national substitute for Western LEAP-1C. The evidence has been advanced since 2018, although the commercial certification will not arrive before 2030, and in the worst scenario it would be delayed until 2035. Meanwhile, the Chinese domestic market offers an extraordinary mattress: Boeing estimates that China will need 8,600 new commercial airplanes in the next two decades.
And now what. The United States has recently reactivated licenses to sell engines to C919, but this movement can also mean China’s reinforcement to achieve technological autonomy in the sector. The European C919 certification could arrive between 2028 and 2031, which would open the doors to the global market. If China manages to combine a competitive plane with aggressive prices and fast deliveries, the historical Boeing-Airbus duopoly could have its days counted.
Cover image | Comac
In WorldOfSoftware | In his crusade to manufacture the iPhone at home, the US has achieved something historical: that most of its smartphones come from India
