China’s first domestically produced passenger aircraft C919 was grounded temporarily on June 29 and 30, after it was in commercial operation for only one month. China Eastern Airlines (CEA) owns the C919 passenger jet, which is currently the only aircraft of its kind in commercial operation in China. The CEA replaced the flights with an…

Commentary Samuel Johnson once said of a dog walking on its hind legs that even though it was not done well, one was surprised to see it done at all. Such is the increasing indifference I am feeling toward China’s C919 passenger jet, Beijing’s latest effort to break into the global commercial airliner business. The…

Commentary In mid-May, the first C919 intended for the first airline customer had its first flight. This is good news for China’s dream of becoming a world-class builder of passenger jets. The bad news is, it’s going to be expensive. A C919 could cost as much as an Airbus A320 or a Boeing 737. That’s…

Commentary Last month, the United States and Europe approved a halt in their 17-year trade dispute over subsidies to Boeing and Airbus. Furthermore, both sides agreed to “collaborate on addressing non-market practices of third parties that may harm their respective large civil aircraft industries.” This means China. China is trying hard to break into the…