TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Greater Bay Airlines (GBA) is the latest Chinese airline to balk at ordering China's domestically made Comac C919 passenger jet, instead opting for aircraft from the U.S. manufacturer Boeing.
The C919, which has been dubbed China's "national pride" for being the first indigenously produced passenger jet, has had a rocky start and has yet to enter service for any commercial airlines. Although commercial flights were slated to begin in February, a China Eastern Airlines C919 jet suffered an engine malfunction on Feb.1, leading to further delays in its debut.
When landing at Beijing Capital International Airport on a short flight from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport that day, one of the plane's engines "failed to open the thrust reverser," reported Asia Times. This technical issue will likely delay plans for the aircraft to finish its first 100 hours of flight tests, which is required for the airline to receive a certificate to operate it commercially.
Thus far, China Eastern Airlines is the only Chinese carrier to attempt to put the C919 in service, while other domestic airlines are slow to place orders. As a new, Chinese-funded, low-cost carrier, GBA, would seem to be the ideal candidate as it is headquartered in Hong Kong and founded by Shenzhen-based property tycoon Bill Wong Cho-bau.
However, on March 3, the firm announced that instead of ordering the C919, it announced that it will purchase 15 Boeing 737-9s. Its agreement with the American company also includes a commitment for five 787 Dreamliners, according to a Boeing press release.
The 739-9 MAX airliner costs about US$52 million (NT$1.5 billion) each and the order of 15 jets is estimated to be worth between US$780 million and US$800 million, aviation expert David Yu told SCMP.
When asked by Nikkei whether GBA would acquire the C919, Wong, who is a former member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said that the airline does not currently plan to acquire any aircraft from Comac. "We are sticking to Boeing now, as they have delivered many planes over the years," said the GBA chairman.
