COMAC
He Dongfeng (Chairman)
Overview
COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) is China's state-owned commercial aircraft manufacturer and the core vehicle for the country's indigenous airliner program. Its current aircraft family spans the in-service C909 regional jet, the in-service C919 narrow-body, and the C929 wide-body now in detailed design. COMAC has moved beyond a symbolic national program into real airline operations, customer support, and early export expansion in Southeast Asia — including Air Cambodia's headline 10+10 C909 commitment in 2025 — making it China's first credible attempt to build a full commercial-aircraft OEM, even as 2026 deliveries continue to lag ambitious airline expectations.
Main Products
China's first domestically developed short- to medium-range turbofan regional airliner. The C909 is optimized for 78 to 97 seats, short and narrow runways, and demanding high-temperature or plateau operations, making it COMAC's current spearhead for regional export expansion in Southeast Asia, with growing derivative interest in medical-rescue and firefighting configurations.
In scheduled service in China and Southeast Asia, with ~182 cumulative deliveries by end of 2025. Nine C909s operate in Southeast Asia through TransNusa, Lao Airlines, and Chengdu Airlines after Vietjet ended its 6-month wet-lease in October 2025. Air Cambodia's September 2025 MoU for up to 20 aircraft (10 firm + 10 options) is the largest C909 order outside China, and Shanxi Victory General Aviation signed at Singapore Airshow 2026 for up to six firefighting C909s — the variant's first dedicated order.
China's first domestically developed narrow-body single-aisle commercial airliner, designed to compete directly with the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX. Powered by CFM International LEAP-1C engines with a domestic CJ-1000A engine in flight-test on a Y-20 testbed and now expected to enter daily C919 service around 2028-2029.
In commercial service since May 2023 with about 37 cumulative deliveries — China Eastern leads the fleet with 15, Air China with 11, and China Southern with 10. The 2026 ramp is well behind plan: only 5 C919s shipped through April 2026 versus the 33 Chinese airlines projected for the year, with labor shortages and LEAP-1C supply identified as bottlenecks.
COMAC's planned twin-aisle wide-body program for long-haul international and regional flying. The aircraft is aimed at the Airbus A330neo and Boeing 787 class and is now being advanced as an independent Chinese program after the earlier Russia-China partnership unraveled. Air China has signed a preliminary launch-customer agreement.
In detailed design phase with active CAAC engineering reviews and preliminary wind-tunnel testing under way. At Singapore Airshow 2026, COMAC signed a letter of intent with Aviage Systems for the core avionics processing system, adding to Paris Air Show 2025 MoUs with Safran and Crane Aerospace. Fuselage manufacturer Huarui Aero is targeting first middle-fuselage delivery by September 1, 2027. Powerplant selection remains the largest open gating item.
What's Next
Close the 2026 C919 delivery gap
COMAC delivered only 5 C919s in the first four months of 2026 against the 33-aircraft total Chinese airlines have planned. The near-term challenge is unblocking LEAP-1C engine supply, easing labor shortages, and lifting monthly throughput so cumulative deliveries can move from ~37 toward the airlines' annual plan.
EASA is now in Phase 3 of a four-phase C919 review, with pilots and engineers stationed in Shanghai for ongoing flight evaluations. EASA chief Florian Guillermet has said approval will not arrive before 2028 and could take three to six years overall — making EASA sign-off the single most important unlock for non-Chinese sales.
CJ-1000A domestic engine certification
The CJ-1000A engine, designed to replace the Western LEAP-1C on the C919, has completed flight-testing on a Y-20 testbed and is now expected to be certified in 2027-2028, enter daily C919 service around 2028-2029, and reach mass production by ~2030, reducing dependence on Western supply chains.
Drive the C929 deeper into hardware execution: complete wind-tunnel and aerodynamic validation, lock in remaining tier-1 suppliers beyond Aviage/Safran/Crane, take delivery of Huarui Aero's first middle fuselage by September 2027, and ultimately pick a powerplant — still the largest open question for the program.
Convert Air Cambodia's 10+10 C909 MoU into firm deliveries, deploy more Chengdu Airlines C909s into Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Russia using the $92M COMAC capital injection, and use the C909 medical and firefighting variants showcased at Singapore Airshow 2026 to widen the addressable market beyond passenger service.
Operations & Revenue
C909 and C919 are both in revenue service, with COMAC reporting more than 200 combined deliveries by Singapore Airshow 2026 — though only 5 C919s shipped in the first four months of 2026 versus an airline-planned 33, with labor shortages and LEAP-1C engine supply still constraining ramp-up. Southeast Asia remains COMAC's first meaningful export beachhead, anchored now by Air Cambodia's 10+10 C909 commitment after Vietjet ended its 6-month wet-lease in October 2025.
Revenue Streams
Narrow-body aircraft sales and lifecycle support centered on the C919 trunk-liner program, which is already flying with China Eastern, Air China, and China Southern.
Regional-jet sales, leasing, and support, including export placements in Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam. The C909 is also being extended into derivative markets such as medical rescue, firefighting, cargo, and business-jet configurations.
Key Metrics
Employees
~10,000+
Timeline
At Singapore Airshow 2026, COMAC showcases the C919 with a demonstration flight and brings the C909 medical-rescue variant to Southeast Asia for the first time. COMAC says combined C909 and C919 deliveries have exceeded 200 aircraft, serving more than 800 routes and carrying over 36 million passengers. Shanxi Victory General Aviation also signs for up to six C909 firefighting aircraft — the C909's first dedicated firefighting order.
In February 2026, COMAC pumps 634 million yuan (~$91.76M) into subsidiary Chengdu Airlines, nearly tripling the carrier's registered capital from 680M yuan to 2B yuan and reinforcing COMAC's 48% stake. The move turns Chengdu Airlines into a demonstration platform for the C909 with planned expansion to routes across Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Russia.
COMAC accelerates the C929 wide-body into detailed design, with CAAC engineers embedded in design reviews, preliminary wind-tunnel testing under way, and a letter of intent signed with Aviage Systems at Singapore Airshow for the core avionics processing system. Air China has signed a preliminary launch-customer agreement, and fuselage manufacturer Huarui Aero is targeting first middle-fuselage delivery by September 1, 2027.
Chinese airlines projected 33 C919 deliveries in 2026, but COMAC ships only 5 aircraft through the end of April (1 in February, 2 in March, 2 in April), with output constrained by labor shortages and supplier dependencies — particularly LEAP-1C engines. Cumulative C919 deliveries reach about 37 since 2023 entry-into-service, with China Eastern leading at 15 aircraft, Air China at 11, and China Southern at 10.
COMAC adds Lao Airlines and Vietjet Air as new C909 customers and uses the Paris Air Show 2025 to sign C929 program cooperation MoUs with Safran and Crane Aerospace & Electronics. By mid-2025 it had delivered 20 C919s and 165 C909s. Vietjet's 6-month wet-lease of two C909s wraps in October without renewal, while Air Cambodia commits in September to up to 20 C909s (10 firm + 10 options) — the largest C909 order outside China.