COMAC To Launch 777X Rival

At the 2025 Paris Air Show, emerging manufacturer COMAC discussed the prospects of its commercial aircraft division.

For the planemaker, one of the more significant focuses is the C939, a new high-capacity aircraft intended to compete with the 777X.

This endeavour is part of a broader effort to scale up the capacity of jets produced by COMAC. The C929, which would slot into the 250- to 320-seat market, serves as the building block that enables the development of a C939.

Initial speculation surrounding the birth of a C939 emerged at the midpoint of the 2010s, when COMAC was exploring ways to evolve its widebody offering.

By 2024, progress was formally acknowledged, with reputable reporting from the South China Morning Post indicating that COMAC was finally making genuine progress in launching its C939.

At the 2025 edition of the Paris Airshow, the planemaker confirmed that, although no exact timeframe is available for the launch of this jet, it is forthcoming and work is well underway.

However, despite COMAC’s attempts to launch a competitor to the 777X, the launch of a smaller C929 would need to occur prior; this is expected to come in 2035 at the earliest, meaning a prospective C939 would follow.

At this point, it would be more than 20 years since the 777X was first announced, and the American planemaker would hope close to a decade since the long-haul type entered service.

As a result, for this prospective C939, genuine upgrades would be necessary, especially since it’s entering the industry at a time when there is a significant emphasis on new-gen technologies to make flights more sustainable.

Doubts Surround COMAC

Despite new intentions surrounding the development of a plane to rival the 777X and even the A350-1000 from COMAC, scepticism remains.

The lack of certification remains one of the biggest hurdles to the broader adoption of the existing commercial airplanes produced by the planemaker.

While COMAC sees its planes flying across China, the countries outside of this market that have approved existing planes from the planemaker remain very few.

Therefore, the scope for adoption is minor, and airlines would rather stick to a product they’re familiar with and have likely had decades of communication with a manufacturer.

Additionally, concerns remain over the spare parts market, the ability to maintain an active fleet, and, for some countries, the nature of security and the quality of construction.

Airbus has expressed its belief that COMAC should still be viewed as a threat, despite global airlines rejecting the planemaker’s advances over recent times for the reasons mentioned above and others.

Ultimately, while the company innovates and has a smaller backlog, meaning more favourable delivery slots, the product it offers does not come with game-changing upgrades that have, as of yet, led Western countries to look away from Airbus and Boeing.