COMAC secures order for firefighting aircraft
Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) has secured a new order for its specialized regional aircraft at the ongoing Singapore Airshow 2026, as the aircraft manufacturer showcased its C909 and C919 jets while stepping up its push into Southeast Asia.
The Chinese plane maker signed a deal with Shanxi Victory General Aviation for six C909 firefighting aircraft. The agreement, announced on Tuesday when the six-day airshow kicked off, includes three firm orders and three commitments of intent, further diversifying the operational portfolio of the jet.
COMAC's presence at the air show underscores its ambition to compete globally, with a specific focus on Southeast Asia. A C919 narrow-body aircraft, a C909 medical rescue aircraft and a C909 operated by Indonesia's TransNusa Aviation are on display. The C919 is also scheduled to perform a flight demonstration, aiming to showcase its reliability to international buyers.
COMAC said it attaches great importance to the Southeast Asia aviation market. In recent years, C909 jets have entered service in Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam. According to COMAC, a total of nine C909 aircraft operated by carriers including Indonesia's TransNusa and Laos' Lao Airlines have opened more than 20 routes, carrying more than 700,000 passengers.
India, China and Southeast Asia are forecast to account for eight of the world's 10 fastest-growing air travel markets between 2024 and 2044, according to a report released by Alton Aviation Consultancy on the eve of the show.
Even as it eyes global markets, COMAC continues to consolidate its dominance at home. By the end of 2025, the company had delivered 182 C909 aircraft and 32 C919 aircraft, according to Flight Master, a Chinese civil aviation data provider.
The data showed that domestically built aircraft accounted for about 4.5 percent of China's commercial fleet and flew 4.4 percent of all civil aviation flights.
The C909, in particular, has become a backbone for regional connectivity. In 2025, the jet surpassed 30 million cumulative passengers. Its network connected 86 regional airports, representing more than 46 percent of China's operating regional airports.
Notably, the aircraft has achieved near-total coverage in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, connecting 27 airports. This performance underlines the jet's capability in demanding geographical environments, a selling point for potential clients in mountainous regions of Asia and beyond.
Meanwhile, the C919, which competes directly with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families, carried more than 2.3 million passengers in 2025. Its operations have expanded to 46 domestic routes linking key economic hubs including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Guangdong province and Chengdu, Sichuan province.
Industry observers are closely watching the Singapore Airshow for signs of C919's international breakthrough. The International Bureau of Aviation has forecast that COMAC could more than triple its delivery rate to 145 per year by 2030, driven by the ramp-up of both C909 and C919 production and future developments in wide-body aircraft.
While challenges remain — such as the time-intensive certification process by European regulators which may impact expansion into Western markets — demand within Asia provides a robust growth engine. Boeing's own market outlook projects that China's commercial fleet will continue to grow strongly through the mid-21st century, creating ample space for homegrown jets to operate alongside established Western manufacturers.
lijing2009@chinadaily.com.cn
