As the global aircraft industry warily watches Comae's progress in developing the C919 narrowbody airliner, new data suggests that the designers are not achieving the low weights expected of an advanced new design. And while Comac is promising a 10% reduction in direct operating costs, the first batch of orders reveal that Chinese state airlines are even more reluctant to buy the aircraft than expected. The letters of intent from the central government's three big airlines-covering orders for only five C919s each for China Southern Airlines, Air China and China Eastern Airlines-were far below the commitments for several hundred aircraft that industry sources say Co-mac sought at first.
展开▼
