A C919 aircraft from the Chinese state-owned company Comac made its first international flight yesterday between Beijing and Mongolia. The flight marks an important milestone for China: after all, the C919 is set to compete with the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 MAX, medium-sized aircraft that have dominated the market for decades.
Yet this symbol of Chinese technological ambition has a distinctly Western heart, and part of it is Belgian. The C919 is powered by the Franco-American CFM LEAP-1C engine, whose low-pressure compressor comes from Safran Aero Boosters near Liège.
No EASA/FAA-certificate yet
Mongolia was not chosen by chance: the Mongolian Civil Aviation Authority recognizes the Chinese CAAC airworthiness certification, while U.S. and European regulators have not yet approved the C919.
EASA certification is still at least 2 years away – or perhaps even 5 years – and without such a European certificate and FAA approval, the aircraft cannot fly in Europe or the U.S.
Comac, or the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, submitted the application as early as 2019, but the pandemic significantly delayed the entire process – it wasn’t resumed until 2023. Currently, EASA is reported to have pilots and technical staff stationed in Shanghai, where the test flights and inspections at the assembly facilities are taking place.
However, political factors could also play a role in the complex, four-stage approval process. For example, are you just going to give a future competitor a free ticket to the U.S. and European markets?
Lower price
The C919 can carry 159 to 192 passengers and is comparable in size to the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320 (neo). The latter aircraft is currently the undisputed market leader.
Boeing has suffered serious damage to its reputation following several accidents involving the 737 MAX and the “door plug” scandal, but despite this, it remains a top-selling aircraft.
Within that duopoly, Comac, founded in 2008, now hopes that the C919 will become the third player. Thanks to substantial government subsidies, Comac can offer the aircraft at a significantly lower price. In addition, the Chinese government is requiring domestic airlines, such as China Eastern, to purchase the aircraft.
Foreign airlines from countries that have good political relations with China – such as those in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East – may also purchase the aircraft as a political statement, particularly to build some goodwill or to elevate their status as a trading partner.
The aircraft has already logged quite a few flight hours. Since entering domestic service in May 2023 – when it made its first commercial flight between Shanghai and Beijing – the C919 has carried over 7,5 million passengers on 57 routes.
The C919 is currently also in service with 3 Chinese Airlines – Air China, China Eastern and China Southern – and about 40 have been delivered so far. That production figure is still miles away from that of its competitors – Airbus delivered 793 aircraft last year, and Boeing delivered 600 – even though 1,000 units have reportedly already been ordered.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary is also open to the idea. In March 2025, he stated that his airline would consider the C919 if its price were 10 to 20% lower than that of comparable Airbus aircraft.
Symbol of assembly with many components from the U.S. and EU
But a new type of aircraft always has teething troubles, and the C919 is no exception. For example, by making greater use of traditional aluminum instead of ultra-light carbon fiber, the C919 is heavier and less aerodynamic than the latest A320neo and 737 MAX.
This causes it to consume more fuel than its Western counterparts. Furthermore, it has a shorter range on a full tank than its Western rivals – from 1,000 to 2,200 kilometers.
Perhaps the most sensitive issue is that, for now, the C919 remains a symbol of assembly rather than fully independent manufacturing. Many components – from the engines, hydraulics, landing gear, and avionics – come from the U.S. or Europe. A 2020 analysis even showed that more than half of the C919’s suppliers were American, 26 from Europe, and only 14 from China.
And that, of course, makes you strategically vulnerable. For example, U.S. export controls suspended the delivery of engines last year, exposing deep vulnerabilities in the supply chain.
This is precisely why China is now focusing on achieving greater self-reliance. The Chinese Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) explicitly identifies accelerating the certification and use of its own CJ-1000 engine as a national strategic priority.
Walloon high technology
For now, those engines are still coming from Western countries, and there’s even a surprising Belgian connection. The C919 is powered by LEAP-1A engines, developed by CFM, a joint venture between the American company General Electric and the French company Safran.
However, several Walloon facilities of Safran Aero Boosters produce crucial components for the LEAP engines, such as the low-pressure compressor in Milfort. At the same time, specific parts for this program are also manufactured in Marchin and Welkenraedt. Moreover, the LEAP engines are also used by Airbus and Boeing.
This perfectly illustrates the weakness of the Chinese project at this stage: They are building the fuselage and the wings, but the heart of the aircraft is Western.
