China wants to build its own jumbo jet

Almost ten years after the last Boeing 747 rolled off the production line, China is drawing up plans to build its own next-generation jumbo jet.

It’s a bold move to fill a gap in the global airliner market following the demise of both the Boeing 747-8 and the larger Airbus A380 superjumbo.

Designed and built by Comac – the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China – the Chinese jumbo jet would rely on the latest materials and cutting-edge technology, including high-efficiency engines.

Dubbed the Comac C939, it’s expected to be a direct rival to the Boeing 777 as well as the 747.

The majestic ‘Queen of the Skies’ met her end in 2017, when the last 747-8I ‘Intercontinental’ passenger jet was handed over to Korean Air, which along with Lufthansa, still counts the massive four-engine jet in its fleet.

Former Comac deputy general manager Wei Yingbiao, who is now an executive at another state-owned enterprise, confirmed the C939 in remarks to an industry forum in Harbin in December, saying Comac was “doing designs” for the plane.

It’s not known if the C939 will be a stretched single-deck plane or feature the 747’s iconic upper deck ‘hump’.

China’s homegrown jumbo jet would be the fourth member of Comac’s aircraft family, designed to compete with Airbus and Boeing.

Also under development is the C929, a mid-sized jet to take on the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which could take wing by the end of the decade.

With Air China already confirmed as its launch customer, the C929 would carry up to 440 passengers on flights up to 12,000km – sufficient range for premium routes from Beijing and Shanghai to New York and London.

Already flying is the C919, a smaller single-aisle jet which lines up against the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 series.

While mainly flown by local carriers, including Air China, China Eastern and China Southern, Comac has also been pitching the plane to airlines in Indonesia and Cambodia.

Finally, with 78-90 seats, the Comac C909 is competing with Brazil’s Embraer E190 and E195 jets in the short-range regional market.

Also read: Emirates’ $20 billion plan for a new A380neo superjumbo