US ban on COMAC jet components would include more than just engines
The C909 and C919 commercial aircraftt programs of China’s COMAC would be seriously affected by the suspension of export licenses for components manufactured by US companies.
The US Commerce Department’s ruling was revealed by The New York Times in late May, but it only cited the Leap-1C engine used in the C919 and manufactured by CFM, a joint venture between France’s Safran and GE.
ADN, however, understood at the time that the ban could also include the CF34 engine, which powers the C909 regional jet (formerly ARJ21) and is manufactured by GE.
A report in The Air Current on June 6 confirmed the inclusion of the CF34 engine and other suppliers such as Honeywell and RTX (Collins).
The ban has a severe impact on the production of the two aircraft, which were developed in partnership with several Western companies.
Honeywell is responsible for the C909’s electrical system, APU and landing gear, while Collins supplies the weather radar and other avionics.
Other US suppliers are involved, including Parker Aerospace and Arconic.
Large backlog
Even if it replaces these items, COMAC will have to conduct static and flight tests to obtain additional certification, which could delay production for a long time.
The Chinese state-owned manufacturer, based in Pudong, Shanghai, has a huge backlog thanks to Xi Jinping’s government’s determination to fill the country’s airline fleet with indigenous aircraft.
The plan goes beyond the C909 and C919 and includes a Boeing 787-class widebody, the C929, originally developed in partnership with Russia and now a 100% Chinese program.
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Ricardo Meier
Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
