COMAC (the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has been making moves to attract airlines based in Indonesia, Cambodia, and Kazakhstan, to place orders for its C919 narrowbody 158-192 seat aircraft. The move comes as the Chinese planemaker seeks its first orders for the jet outside of mainland China, say sources close to the Shanghai-based company.
According to a report by BNN Bloomberg, COMAC’s “charm offensive” (as it is being referred to) has seen executives from the Chinese company holding exploratory talks with high-ranking airline officials across Asia in recent weeks. Target airlines are said to include Garuda Indonesia, which is said to be in the market for as many as 70 new single-aisle aircraft and is reportedly also talking to Boeing and Airbus over a potential future order. The source stated that Garuda’s new CEO Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan has been involved in such discussions with COMAC.
COMAC’s opportunity to attract more airlines to its C919 jet (which competes in the market with the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX) has improved throughout 2024 as quality issues at Boeing plus supply chain bottlenecks and delayed deliveries have plagued the other two manufacturers. Notwithstanding these issues and compounding the situation for airlines is that both Airbus and Boeing narrowbody production lines are sold out until beyond 2030.
In addition to holding talks with Garuda, COMAC has also reportedly held preliminary discussions with privately owned SCAT Airlines in Kazakhstan as well as Angkor Air in Cambodia. Angkor Air counts Chinese company Xing Gang Investment Group as one if its major shareholders, which COMAC hopes will sway the airline in its favor.
The company has also been lobbying the Indonesian Government for a high-profile spot at the Bali International Airshow being held on the Indonesian island in September 2025. Additionally, Indonesia has strong economic ties with China, which is its biggest trading partner, plus a recent trade visit by the Indonesian president to China sparked a round of trade deals between companies in both countries.
According to BNN Bloomberg’s report, no one from either COMAC, Garuda, SCAT Airlines, nor Angkor Air responded to its request for comment on the reports. The C919 also currently isn’t certified by other nations’ safety regulators, meaning it can’t currently fly commercially outside of China. However, it is thought that this situation could change if a potential airline order was in the pipeline.
VietJet in late December signed a lease contract for two of COMACs smaller C909 aircraft beginning in 2025, according to local media reports. The aircraft, formerly known as the ARJ21 also faced certification hurdles outside of China but managed to resolve them. Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines’ CEO Le Hong Ha said in November 2024 that he would consider a C919 order if it was certified.
To secure international orders for its C919 and to win its first lucrative order from a Westen-based airline, COMAC is believed to be offering generous terms and discounts to potential customers. These are said to include helping to finance entire plane orders and offering to upgrade airport infrastructures. COMAC recently opened sales offices in Hong Kong and Singapore to help it secure overseas orders for its jets and also opened its first overseas customer service office in Jakarta in 2023.
Just earlier in December 2024, AeroTime reported that its C919 jet had celebrated carrying its millionth passenger since entering service in May 2023. As of December 19, 2024, COMAC has delivered a total of 14 C919s to three airlines within China – China Eastern Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines. Between these carriers, the C919 operates on 15 routes and currently serves 10 cities within the country.