GE engines for Chinese jets from COMAC are once again authorized for export by the US - report

GE Aerospace was once again authorized by the US government to send CF34 and Leap-1C turbofan engines to Chinese manufacturer COMAC after weeks of impasse.

The end of the suspension would have been communicated to the company on Thursday, according to a source from Reuters. The two engines are used by the C909, with 90 seats, and C919, with 160 seats.

The US Department of Commerce had suspended the export licenses of several COMAC suppliers in late May.

The measure would have been a retaliation to the Xi Jinping government for having imposed restrictions on the export of rare earths and magnets in April, affecting the auto industry, planemakers and semiconductor manufacturers.

COMAC relies on several Western companies to assemble its two aircraft, which are not yet assembled on a large scale.

The regional jet, which is powered by the well-known CF34 engine, has 166 aircraft in service, while the C919 had its 21st aircraft delivered in June.

The state-owned manufacturer had planned to produce 75 commercial aircraft by 2025, 50 of which would be the C919, which is a direct competitor to the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320neo.

However, only five commercial jets of the type were delivered in the first half of the year.

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