Boeing and Airbus have dominated the aviation industry for decades, but Boeing’s safety struggles this year and production shortages at both plane makers may be leading airlines to wonder if it’s time for a change in the competitive landscape.
“We need more competition in the aerospace business,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said. Air Show Podcast, According to aviation media the flow of airKirby said the company is not yet ready to invest heavily in planes from manufacturers other than Airbus or Boeing, but is “just starting to think” about exploring new suppliers.
Boeing is still reeling from an accident in early January when a door plug on a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines blew off in flight. The incident sparked increased scrutiny of Boeing’s manufacturing processes, causing delays to the company’s plane production and upsetting airlines that were due to receive Boeing planes this year.
Kirby has previously complained about Boeing’s struggles, calling the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to temporarily ground the 737 Max 9 in January a “breaking point.”
Boeing’s rival Airbus is also facing problems: Parts and labor shortages have reportedly forced the European plane maker to delay deliveries to airlines, and it has also had to ground hundreds of Airbus A320neo jets while it replaces faulty engine parts made by supplier Pratt & Whitney.
Is COMAC a third supplier?
But who will that third supplier be?
One possibility is COMAC and its C919 narrow-body jet, which resembles the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. The Chinese state-owned manufacturer unveiled the C919 at the Singapore Airshow earlier this year, making its international debut.
Speaking at the Fortune Innovation Forum earlier this year, Cathay Pacific CEO Ronald Lam suggested the aviation industry could move toward an “ABC market” — Airbus, Boeing and COMAC. The head of a major Hong Kong airline that currently flies both Boeing and Airbus planes suggested such “triangular competition” would be a good thing for the industry.
Kirby said: Air Show Podcast“I don’t think it’s inevitable, I don’t think it’s likely,” he said when asked whether the third supplier would be a Chinese company.
So far, only China-based airlines have committed to buying the C919, although Saudi Arabian airlines have reportedly shown some interest in COMAC’s efforts. The C919 still needs regulatory approval in Europe and the United States before it can operate commercially in those markets.
Even COMAC’s ARJ21 regional jet, which has been in commercial service since 2016 (the only non-Chinese airline using the ARJ21 is a small Indonesian airline), has yet to receive approval from U.S. regulators.
Instead, Kirby sees Brazil’s Embraer as a possible new challenger.
Embraer is the industry’s third-largest manufacturer after Boeing and Airbus. The Brazilian company currently makes small regional jets that seat just under 100 people, but it is exploring the possibility of developing the next generation of narrow-body jets. The Wall Street Journal It was reported in May.
