The C919 is built by the state-owned Commercial Aviation Corp of China (COMAC).
COMAC began developing the C919 15 years ago to rival the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle jet families.
Although the jet is assembled in China, it relies heavily on Western components, including engines and avionics.
The jetliner is unlike to win significant orders from abroad until it is certified by US or European aviation regulators.
How much will China assembly bring down pricing? Enough to garner orders from foreign airlines assuming the C919 pasts muster with US/European aviation regulators.
China is in decline. I wont go anywhere near this plane.
Plus the hardware will be hackable by the west. Meaning find yourself for whatever reason over the Pacific in one of these while hostilities break out…watch out.
Russian can not get western parts for jets. The Russian aircraft industry is now getting into action. Good luck with that as well.
Without economies of scale in China this is a terrible company longer term. Boeing should know. But Boeing now has any upside again being in the west.
There is an incredible stickiness to airplane orders because of the high maintenance they require. The airlines - or their contracted facilities - have to stock a huge variety of parts to they can keep the aircraft in the air where they make money, not on the ground waiting for FedEx to deliver, so the airlines are loathe to switch vendors.
It happens, of course, and price could be a significant motivator if the difference is enough. Given the kinds of cost differentials we’ve seen in other Chinese industries they might do it - but it’s years away at best. Approval by regulators will take time, and then American carriers will want to wait for several years of safe flying before jumping in. I’m gonna predict a decade, at least before there’s any significant movement by the majors.
Russia used to have a significant presence in commercial airliners. Sales outside of the eastern block were tiny, but they did have the market covered, all the way from an Antonov turboprop, to the TU-144 SST.