Comac kicked off its return to the Paris air show with a pair of agreements signed with Safran and US-based Crane Aerospace and Electronics for its C929 widebody programme.
The memorandums of understanding cover various systems on the in-development jet. Comac’s MoU with Safran covers landing, oxygen, and ice detection systems, while its pact with Lynwood, Washington-headquartered Crane is for cabin door sensors.
The Shanghai-based airframer is making progress in the development of its C929 widebody. At Airshow China in Zhuhai in 2024, Comac announced that Air China would be the launch customer of the programme, which is still in its design stages.
The C929, which can seat between 280-440 passengers with a range of around 12,000km, has been touted by Comac to compete against Boeing and Airbus widebodies, including the A350 and 787.
Comac has also teased stretched and shortened variants of the C929. A brochure distributed at the show showcases a baseline C929-700, with a shortened -600 and stretched -800 named.
It does not provide further details on the two variants.
At the show, Comac showcased models of its three aircraft families: the C909 (formerly the ARJ21), the C919 and the C929.
Its presence at Paris comes as it looks to grow its brand beyond Mainland China.
The C909 is already operating with three Southeast Asian operators: low-cost operator Vietjet Air, Lao Airlines, as well as Indonesia’s TransNusa Airlines.
Comac has also indicated its intention to have the C919 – presently in service with Mainland Chinese carriers – certificated by European regulators.
“Comac is committed to open cooperation and looks forward to deepening partnerships with global customers and collaborators,” the company states.
