China debuts home-built Comac C919 jet, but breaking Airbus-Boeing duopoly is still some time away

Chinese homegrown passenger jet C919 finally took its first commercial flight on Sunday (May, 28). A China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai to Beijing became the first to operate the homegrown narrow-body aircraft.

The jet designed and manufactured by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd (COMAC), took 16 long years to fly passengers. The development program that was initiated in 2008, took so long to become operational because of technical and regulatory setbacks.

What does it mean for Airbus and Boeing?

The competitive twin engine, single aisle, short-to-medium range market has a new player now. Airbus's 319 and 320 family and Boeing's 737s are by far the most popular planes in the world and China, both holding the biggest share (>95%).

The Chinese aviation market is expected to see a huge demand in the coming years with the introduction of new routes and the phasing out of old planes. With C919 up in the sky China hopes to break the Airbus-Boeing's decade-old duopoly in this segment. COMAC VP recently said it has already got around 1200 orders from Chinese carriers, but experts say the claims are largely based on Letters of Intent.

C919 challenge: real or symbolic?

• The  Airbus-Boeing duopoly's long years of experience and in-place intellectual property ensure smooth and efficient delivery and servicing. The global service network of Airbus and Boeing simply makes them the first choice for carriers, as C919 crossing several deadlines means some obvious delay in putting servicing facilities in place.
• The C919 lags back in seating capacity (160 approx) and flight range (5,550 km) from both its counterparts. The Chinese plane is also less fuel efficient compared to others in the segment.
• The C919 is primarily built on parts by Western suppliers and is decades away to deploy its manufacturing ecosystem towards the growth of a truly homegrown jetliner. Reports of espionage and IP theft were also reported related to the development of the program.

• There is a chance that recent geopolitical tension between the US and China could dampen Chinese efforts to make the jet travel far into the States owing to certification and compliance in the West as it happened to the ARJ21, China's short-haul airliner. However, C919  is expected to penetrate the domestic and South East Asian market.