By Lisa Barrington
SEOUL (Reuters) – Chinese language planemaker COMAC opened in Hong Kong its second workplace this week outdoors mainland China, a subsidiary mentioned on Thursday, because the state-owned firm tries to interrupt into a worldwide passenger jet market dominated by Western producers.
COMAC’s two business passenger planes are, except for one Indonesian airline, all flown inside China, however the agency is searching for to develop abroad at a time when market leaders Airbus and Boeing (NYSE:) are struggling to make planes quick sufficient to fulfill demand.
The launch of the COMAC Buyer Service Hong Kong Workplace follows the opening in Singapore on Monday of COMAC’s Asia-Pacific workplace, billed as a strategy to develop the planemaker’s attain abroad.
Li Ling, COMAC deputy common supervisor, mentioned the Hong Kong workplace was an essential step within the planemaker’s worldwide technique, the assertion from COMAC’s customer support arm Shanghai Plane Buyer Service Co mentioned.
“COMAC appears to be like ahead to working hand in hand with all events to strengthen exchanges with the aviation business in Hong Kong and even Southeast Asia with a extra open perspective,” Li mentioned.
Hong Kong is a particular administrative area of China with its personal civil aviation regulator. No COMAC planes presently fly to town or have been ordered by Hong Kong-based airways, though there have been two demonstration flights of COMAC’s C919 jet in Hong Kong over the previous 12 months.
On Wednesday, COMAC additionally signed a memorandum of understanding to develop enterprise with Hong Kong-based plane upkeep group HAECO to collaborate on airframe, engine and part providers.
HAECO is owned by Hong Kong conglomerate Swire Pacific (OTC:), the most important shareholder in Cathay Pacific Airways (OTC:).
“The MOU will allow the 2 events to collectively ship extra complete help in the direction of COMAC’s home and worldwide prospects,” mentioned an announcement from HAECO, which already works with COMAC in mainland China.
COMAC has stepped up plans for manufacturing and gross sales of its C919 narrow-body passenger aircraft, which competes with Boeing’s 737 MAX and Airbus’ A320neo jet households. The Chinese language firm additionally has plans for bigger, wide-body designs.
Trade sources say COMAC is a good distance from making inroads internationally, particularly with out benchmark certifications from the European Union, which it’s pursuing for the C919, or the US.
COMAC beforehand opened a U.S. abroad workplace in 2010 in California, and a European workplace in Paris in 2011 throughout earlier pushes for worldwide certification and cooperation.
Their present standing is unclear.
