Aviation

From Crisis to Prosperity – 16 th Aviation Management Conference, Don’t Miss Out! register for FREE

On the 13 th of January 2021, the 16 th Aviation Management Conference will be hosted
by fifteen honours students at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. As a result,
from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s conference will be held in an online
environment for the first time ever and is titled “From Crisis to Prosperity”. The students
want to emphasise that the aviation industry is currently in a position wherein the course
can be altered.

Within this online event, the focus will lie upon the vision of young professionals. The core
values within the conference will be continuity, profitability and sustainability. These will be
recurrent themes throughout the day. The values of the conference will be discussed in
greater detail within the main topics of the conference; Economical, Social and
Technological. These topics will highlight the current impact of COVID-19 on the aviation
industry and it considers the need for change within the Aviation System.

Within this online conference, prominent aviation professionals and companies will be
hosted as they participate in panel discussions, interviews and presentations.
Announcements about speakers and conference schedule will be posted very soon. To keep
up to date with the conference, register for FREE, visit amconference.eu or follow them on
social media.

From Crisis to Prosperity – 16 th Aviation Management Conference

Aviation

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.