According to Bloomberg, the Chinese government may be intentionally slowing down the delivery process of Airbus aircraft. This move is seen as a pressure tactic regarding the slow certification process of China's COMAC airliners in Europe. This was reported by Ixbt.com reports .
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has been withholding final administrative approval for several months. Without this documentation, it is impossible to hand over and operate Airbus aircraft for Chinese airlines. Such delays have dealt a significant blow to the manufacturer: by the end of April, about 20 aircraft intended for China remained undelivered.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury previously stated that administrative issues had been resolved and the remaining airliners would be delivered during the second quarter of this year. However, the status of the COMAC C919 certification process in Europe remains unclear.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had conducted test flights as part of the procedures for entering the EU market. Although the regulator states that cooperation with COMAC and CAAC is ongoing, it is not disclosing specific deadlines for the completion of the certification.
If the COMAC C919 obtains European certification, it will become the first Chinese passenger aircraft to enter Western markets. This would make it a direct competitor to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 models.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
