Photo: Courtesy of COMAC

The C919 aircraft and C909 business jet made their Middle East debuts at the Dubai Airshow, which kicked off on Monday, the first time their developer -- Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) -- participated in the event.  

COMAC will present the latest achievements in the development of China's commercial aircraft through flight displays, static exhibitions, and product presentations, aiming to deepen exchanges and mutual trust with the global aviation industry, according to a press release the company sent to the Global Times on Monday.  

In the static display area, a C919 aircraft from China Southern Airlines and the COMAC C909 business jet were showcased together.  

The China Southern Airlines C919 features a 164-seat, three-class cabin layout. The C909 business jet offers a spacious and comfortable cabin, which can be flexibly configured with areas for rest, reception, meetings, and dining, providing layout solutions for 12 to 29 seats to meet diverse clients' travel needs.  

Additionally, a C919 aircraft from COMAC will perform a demonstration flight for the public.

Inside the exhibition hall, COMAC is displaying models of its full aircraft family. These include the C909, C919, and C929 base models; the C909 variants comprising the business jet, air ambulance, emergency response and command aircraft, firefighting aircraft, and freighter; as well as the shortened and stretched versions of the C919, showcasing a diversified product portfolio to meet various needs of the global aviation market.

The C909 has a seating capacity of 78-97 passengers and a range of 2,225-3,700 kilometers. It demonstrates excellent performance for takeoff and landing on short/narrow runways and at high-temperature and high-altitude airports, along with strong crosswind capability. 

Photo: Courtesy of COMAC

More than 170 C909 aircraft have been delivered to domestic and international customers, operating on more than 790 routes. It has already entered service on routes in Southeast Asia. 

The C919 has a seating capacity of 158-192 passengers and a range of 4,075-5,555 kilometers, and 26 C919s have been delivered, operating on more than 30 routes. 

The C929, with a range of approximately 12,000 kilometers and a standard seating capacity of 280, is steadily progressing through its development phase. 

Since receiving its first C919 on August 28, 2024, China Southern Airlines has operated the aircraft type for more than a year and now has a fleet of seven. The C919 on display at the Dubai Airshow is the sixth aircraft, delivered on September 28, 2025, China Southern told the Global Times on Monday.

To date, China Southern Airlines' C919 fleet has served 17 destinations, safely accumulated more than 10,000 flight hours, and carried more than 627,000 passengers. The aircraft has entered regular commercial service in Shanghai, Beijing, Taiyuan, Wuhan, Xi'an, and other Chinese cities. 



Global Times