Made in China: Boeing, Airbus and Comac jets_美文

Made in China: Boeing, Airbus and Comac jets

"Unsurprisingly, given their present market dominance of this sector, Airbus and Boeing are predicted to account for almost 90 percent of single-aisle deliveries through the forecast," Flightglobal said.

"(Canadian manufacturer) Bombardier, (Russian planemaker) Irkut and Comac between them are expected to achieve about 3,100 aircraft sales through 2035," it added.

That assessment is significant. Comac has a big edge among the three as Bombardier's brand new CSeries aircraft and Irkut's planned MC-21 are not doing well.

As of October, the C919 had won 570 orders.

And, consider this: the first Airbus aircraft – the widebody A300 – had its maiden flight in 1972, but the company did not win substantial orders until 1979. This further illustrates the extent of Comac's success in marketing its airliner even before a test flight.

"Comac now has to look at getting the airplane broader market acceptance in places around the globe where the 737 and A320 dominate," said Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research, a consultancy in London.

"That won't be an easy task, but it is not impossible either," Ahmad said in an email to China Daily.

By establishing completion centers for both Boeing and Airbus jets and by launching a robust aircraft program of its own, China has achieved something unique - it will be the only country making three brands of large commercial airplanes, albeit not fully.