Leading Southeast Asian budget airline AirAsia is showing significant interest in aircraft manufactured by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). "We are in active discussions to purchase the C919," said Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A, AirAsia's parent company, at the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong on 10/9.
Fernandes stated that AirAsia is the first foreign airline to engage in talks with Comac regarding the C919 narrow-body jet. However, he did not disclose the potential order size, price, or other details.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Malaysia, AirAsia is one of the largest low-cost carriers in Southeast Asia. To date, it has served over 800 million passengers and operates a fleet of more than 200 aircraft.
Beijing hopes the C919 will position China as a competitor against Airbus and Boeing, the current market leaders in narrow-body aircraft. The Comac aircraft has a maximum capacity of 192 passengers and a range of 4,075–5,555 km.
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A Comac C919 aircraft. Photo: SCMP |
A Comac C919 aircraft. Photo: SCMP
Comac unveiled the C919 in late 2011, with its first successful test flight in 5/2017. This domestically developed narrow-body aircraft entered commercial service in 5/2023.
The C919 has served over 1.5 million passengers so far. Three Chinese state-owned airlines—Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines—currently operate a fleet of 18 C919s and have hundreds more on order. However, Comac has yet to secure any international orders.
Malaysian transport minister Anthony Loke previously indicated that, in addition to AirAsia, a new Malaysian airline, Air Borneo, is also considering the C919. This interest is driven by a surge in air travel demand, coupled with extensive backlogs at Airbus and Boeing. Loke also encouraged Comac to be more proactive in targeting the global market and enhancing its international presence.
Comac's deputy general manager for marketing and sales stated that the company plans to introduce the C919 on commercial routes to Southeast Asia in 2026.
On 9/10, Comac announced its largest international order to date for its C909 regional jet. The manufacturer and Air Cambodia signed a memorandum of understanding for 10 C909 aircraft, with an option for 10 more. This makes Cambodia the fourth Southeast Asian nation to operate Comac aircraft, following Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam.
Tu Anh (SCMP)
