Air China Becomes the First Customer of COMAC's Developing Wide-Body Aircraft

COMAC, the Chinese aircraft manufacturer, announced that Air China will be the first customer for its C929 wide-body aircraft, which is being developed to compete with Airbus and Boeing's twin-aisle models. Liu Yan, the deputy marketing director of COMAC, made the announcement at China's largest airshow held in Zhuhai. Liu did not disclose the number of aircraft to be purchased by Beijing-based Air China or the planned delivery dates. COMAC stated that the C929 will have a capacity of 280 to 400 seats and a range of 12,000 km (7,500 miles), placing it in the same category as Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.