A Comac C919 during a flying display in Singapore on Sunday.
REUTERS/Edgar Su
Unlike last time round, Boeing isn’t bringing any passenger jets to the Singapore Airshow in 2024.China’s first homegrown airliner, the Comac C919, is making its international debut at the show.Boeing’s problems with the 737 Max blowout could help the C919 compete with the big players.
Boeing isn’t bringing any commercial passenger jets to this year’s Singapore Airshow, which starts Tuesday, amid the fallout from the Alaska Airlines blowout.
The US aviation giant brought its upcoming widebody jet, the 777X, to the previous edition of the airshow — which is generally considered among the four largest airshows in the world — in 2022.
This year, however, Boeing is only showcasing military aircraft, including the F-15 fighter jet and a a B-52 bomber.
Boeing’s commercial airplanes division will be represented by an “immersive display of the 777X cabin experience,” the manufacturer said in a press release.
Airbus is bringing its A330neo passenger jet to the airshow, as well as a helicopter and the A400M military airlifter, as featured in “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation.”
Perhaps the most interesting appearance, however, will be that of China’s first homegrown airliner, which is making its international debut.
Comac’s C919, a narrowbody jet that could eventually compete with the Boeing 737 Max and Airbus A320neo, staged a flyby on Sunday, according to Reuters.
“The industry contacts we speak to believe the problems at Boeing, specifically the 737 Max, present an early opportunity for Comac,” Northcoast Research analyst Chris Olin told CNBC.
Olin said he expects production of the C919 to be limited to no more than 100 jets a year at first, significantly lower production numbers than the likes of Airbus and Boeing.
Airbus delivered 571 jets in its A320 family last year, while Boeing’s 737 deliveries reached 396.
Boeing has faced significant criticism and scrutiny since an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 lost part of its fuselage in midair last month.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report said the four bolts designed to secure the door plug weren’t installed when the plane left the factory.
Some aviation bosses have taken the rare step of publicly criticizing Boeing since the incident. United’s CEO Scott Kirby even suggested that the airline, one of Boeing’s biggest customers, could look to move away from US producer, saying in January that he is building an “alternative plan.”