Aviation

Nine freedoms of the air

The freedoms of the air refer to a set of commercial aviation rights that allow airlines from one country to fly into and land in the airspace of another. The first two freedoms deal with commercial aircraft flying over foreign airspace and airports, while the remaining freedoms deal with international transportation of people, mail, and goods.

• First freedom
The right to fly across another country without having to land.

• Second freedom
The ability to refueling or perform maintenance in another country without having to board or disembark passengers or cargo.

• Third freedom
The ability to travel between one’s own country and another.

• Fourth freedom
The freedom to fly from another country to one’s own.

• Fifth freedom
The ability to travel across two foreign countries on a flight that starts or ends in one’s own country.

• Sixth freedom
The ability to fly from one country to another while making a non-technical stop in one’s own country.
➢ Modified sixth freedom
The right to travel across two locations in a foreign land while making a non-technical stop in one’s own country.

• Seventh freedom
The ability to fly across two foreign countries without passing through one’s own country.

• Eighth freedom
The ability to fly within a foreign country after departing from or returning to one’s home country.

• Ninth freedom
The ability to travel inside a foreign country without returning to one’s own.

Commercial aviation is subject to the freedoms of the air. Even if countries permit the services, airlines may still be restricted from using them due to treaty provisions or other factors

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.