For the first demonstration flight of its C919 passenger jet outside China, state-backed aircraft maker Comac headed to Singapore — a clear sign that the would-be rival to Boeing and Airbus saw south-east Asia as its best opportunity for overseas sales.
“It can lay out a foundation for [our] up-and-coming south-east Asian market,” Comac said in a statement on Chinese social media. After Singapore, the company headed to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
With up to an estimated $72bn of state-related support over the past 15 years, the development of the single-aisle aircraft is seen as a big step forward for President Xi Jinping’s vision of moving China up the value chain in technology and providing more of a challenge to its western rivals — particularly at a moment when Boeing’s safety record is under scrutiny after a door panel blew out on a plane in January.