China's aviation pivot: Boeing sidelined as C919 takes flight
In response to Donald Trump's trade war, China has dealt a significant blow to Boeing in the form of a ban on Chinese airlines purchasing American aircraft. Notably, the Chinese industry is prepared for such a move, having already developed its own C919 aircraft, which competes with the Boeing 737 MAX.
The ban on Chinese airlines buying American passenger planes and parts is one of Beijing's responses to American tariffs. Chinese airlines also must cancel existing agreements, except for those where American planes are delivered before the mutual tariffs come into effect.
This decision by Chinese authorities is a serious setback for Boeing. The American manufacturer has been struggling for years with major issues caused by technical defects in its aircraft, as well as a temporary drop in orders due to the pandemic. As a result, since 2019, Boeing has lost approximately 36 billion dollars. Beijing's latest decision means these challenges may become even greater.
Boeing had recently estimated that by 2043, the Chinese aviation market would account for 20% of global demand for aircraft. This represents an order for around 8,800 new passenger aircraft, with over 6,700 being narrow-body planes like the Boeing 737 MAX.
Beijing's decision means Boeing loses access to a gigantic market—even if part of the orders are taken over by Airbus and part by Chinese models.
Chinese passenger aircraft Comac C919
China is already prepared for this shift. In 2023, the modern, narrow-body Chinese passenger aircraft Comac C919 made its first commercial flight. Although production is just gaining momentum, with only a few dozen units produced, C919's manufacturer, the Comac Corporation, already has orders for over 900 of these aircraft.
The aircraft is 128 feet long with a wingspan of 118 feet, and its range—depending on the version—is around 2,500 to 3,400 miles. The aircraft can accommodate between 150 and 198 passengers.
The debut of the C919 was accompanied by a scandal involving accusations from the U.S. of industrial espionage, which resulted in convictions handed down by American courts.
Although Beijing presents the C919 as a product of Chinese technological innovation, the aircraft is built with the involvement of many Western components, produced in China by companies established for this purpose, merging elements of the Western aviation industry with Chinese entities.
Regardless, Comac has ambitious expansion plans for local and global markets—by 2031, the company aims to increase production to 20 units per month. The elimination of Boeing from the Chinese market is likely to assist in this endeavour.
