Since the domestic large aircraft C919 was put into commercial operation for the first time on May 28, 2023, its operation dynamics, route opening, flight operation, production quantity and production capacity have been attracting much attention. Especially recently, China Eastern Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines have ordered C919 passenger aircraft in large quantities, which has triggered people's expectations for a large explosion of C919 production.
On April 29, 2024, following China Eastern Airlines and Air China, China Southern Airlines also issued an announcement announcing that it had ordered 100 C919 passenger aircraft from COMAC. A few days ago, Air China announced on April 26 that it had signed an agreement with COMAC to purchase 100 C919 aircraft.
In addition, on September 28, 2023, China Eastern Airlines will order an additional 100 C919s on the basis of the first batch of 5 aircraft. This also means that the three major airlines, Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, have ordered more than 300 C919s from COMAC, with a total value of more than 30 billion US dollars, and the delivery period is between 2024 and 2031.
Based on the schedule for the delivery of C919 aircraft to China Eastern Airlines, we can deduce that the delivery arrangements of the three major airlines are as follows:
In 2024, it is planned to deliver 17 C919s, with China Eastern Airlines receiving 7 and Air China and China Southern Airlines each receiving 5. Subsequently, a total of 90 aircraft will be delivered annually from 2025 to 2027, with 30 C919s delivered annually and 30 each received by the three major airlines. Next, between 2028 and 2030, a total of 135 C919s are planned to be delivered, with 45 each of the three major airlines receiving them. Finally, in 2031, it is planned to deliver 60 C919s, and the three major airlines will receive 20 each, and the contract will be completed.
As a result, a major explosion in C919 production is expected to occur between 2028 and 2030, when 45 aircraft will be produced per year. Prior to this, from 2024 to 2027, the production capacity will be ramp-up, gradually increasing from 17 aircraft per year to 30 aircraft per year. This plan not only shows COMAC's accurate grasp of market demand, but also reflects its thoughtful consideration for capacity expansion.
In fact, as early as January 2024, Zhang Yujin, deputy general manager of COMAC, revealed the blueprint for C919's production capacity planning. Over the next five years, the annual production target for the C919 will reach the level of 150 aircraft. Starting from 2024, the production capacity of C919 will increase year by year, grow steadily, and strive to achieve the goal of high-quality and high-efficiency production.
In order to achieve this production capacity target, COMAC plans to invest tens of billions of yuan in capacity expansion over the next three to five years. This series of deployments indicates that the production of C919 will enter a period of rapid development, and it is expected that by 2029, the annual production capacity of C919 will reach 150 aircraft, which will provide strong capacity support for the Chinese and global aviation market.
The three major airlines also made it clear in the procurement announcement that the purchase of domestic C919 large passenger aircraft can effectively meet the company's medium and long-term fleet development needs. Against the backdrop of the strong recovery of China's civil aviation market, the domestic market demand for narrow-body aircraft has shown a clear growth trend.
The introduction of the C919 series of passenger aircraft can not only alleviate the pressure of the current capacity demand of the three major airlines, but also help the airlines achieve a balanced layout of the fleet structure. This move by the three major airlines will undoubtedly help the overall upgrade of the mainland's domestic large aircraft industry, and also demonstrate the market competitiveness and attractiveness of the C919.