Comac has brought models of the stretched and high-altitude variants of its C919 single-aisle for the first time at this year’s Farnborough air show, while also revealing the seat-map for the in-development C929 widebody.
The Shanghai-based airframer is understood not to be making any major customer announcements at Farnborough, a contrast from its high-profile appearance at the Singapore air show earlier in the year. The company has also not brought its C919 and ARJ21 to Farnborough, unlike in Singapore where the aircraft were in the static and flying displays.
The airframer states: “During the [Farnborough] air show, Comac will… organise promotional events to strengthen communications and exchanges with customers and partners.”
The C919’s stretched and high-altitude variants were first revealed at the 2023 Shanghai International Airshow, and Comac also brought the models to the Singapore air show in February.
The stretched variant can seat up to 210 passengers in a two-class configuration, while the high-altitude variant seats around 140 passengers. This compares to the standard C919 layout of 164 seats.
In February, Comac announced the launch customer for the high-altitude variant, with Tibet Airlines committing to 40 examples. The stretched variant has yet to secure any firm orders.
Separately, Comac has revealed the seat-map for its in-development C929 widebody, with a suggested seat count of 281 across three classes.
The C929’s seat-map shows eight first-class seats in a four-abreast layout, while business class has 30 seats in a six-abreast configuration. The seat-map also shows 243 seats in economy class, with a nine-abreast layout.
The C929 was formerly a Sino-Russian project known as the CR929. Russian airframer United Aircraft quietly dropped out of the programme amid the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In April, Comac kicked off a joint research meeting for the programme, bringing together a large group of academics, scientists and engineers, as well as government officials, from across the country.
