Paris Air ShowCOMAC signs supply agreements for the widebody C929
The presence of a COMAC aircraft at the Paris Air Show has not yet taken place this time, but the Chinese state-owned commercial aircraft manufacturer announced important agreements during the exhibition.
The company based in Pudong, Shanghai, has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with Safran and Crane Aerospace & Electronics for the development of systems and equipment for the widebody C929.
The French manufacturer will develop the crew oxygen system, ice detection system, braking control system and tire pressure indication system.
The company based in Washington, USA, will be responsible for the aircraft’s door signal system.
Rival to the Boeing 787 and Airbus A330neo
The C929 is the successor to the failed CR929 joint program, created from the CRAIC joint venture, which brought together COMAC and the Russian UAC.
With the war in Ukraine and trade sanctions, the Russian state abandoned the project, but COMAC went ahead, renaming the aircraft ‘C929’ and aiming for competition with the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A330neo.
According to the manufacturer, the widebody is in the design phase, but will have a capacity of 280 to 440 passengers. The expected range is 6,480 nm (12,000 km) but it is not clear which engine the C929 will be powered by.
The CR929 would be equipped with the Russian PD-35 turbofan, but the current stage of the project is unknown. COMAC may also reach an agreement with Western suppliers such as Rolls-Royce or GE.
Air China was announced last year as the launch customer, but the program is still far from a possible entry into service. Despite the agreement with Crane, the United States government has blocked the supply of parts to COMAC, amid the trade war with China.
During the Paris Air Show, COMAC revealed two other variants of the aircraft: in addition to the C929-700, currently under development, there will be the smaller C929-600 and the stretched C929-800.
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