COMAC to Significantly Increase Production of C919 in 2025
By Jennifer Pierce
China’s state-owned aircraft manufacturer, COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China), is set to significantly increase the production of its C919 single-aisle passenger jet. Shen Bo, COMAC’s Deputy General Manager, announced during the annual “Two Sessions” plenary parliamentary meeting in Shanghai on January 17, 2025, that the company plans to achieve a production capacity of 50 C919 aircraft by 2025. Additionally, the number of planes coming off the assembly line that year is expected to reach 30.
The C919, China’s first domestically developed jetliner meeting international airworthiness standards, is a critical step in China’s bid to challenge the dominance of Western aerospace giants Airbus and Boeing. The aircraft, which features a seating layout for 158 to 192 passengers and a range of 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers, boasts over 1,000 orders to date. Among its prominent customers are Chinese airlines such as Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, each with orders for 100 aircraft.
Since entering service, the C919 has demonstrated strong operational performance. As of December 2024, the aircraft had carried more than one million revenue passengers. In 2025, COMAC plans to advance post-certification management and airworthiness certification for both the C919 and the C929, a widebody aircraft currently in early development stages.
The C929, COMAC’s next ambitious project, is progressing through its design and supplier selection phases, with detailed design efforts slated to begin soon. This marks another step in COMAC’s broader strategy to expand its presence in the global aviation market.
