New aircraft targets Airbus-Boeing duopoly

ZHUHAI: China plans to develop a 130- to 200-seat commercial aircraft, the world's most popular type of jet, to break the market duopoly of Boeing and Airbus, a senior Chinese aircraft designer said.

The aircraft will be designed and assembled in Shanghai, but will source parts and components globally, which is a model adopted by Boeing and Airbus, said Wu Guanghui, chief designer of the program and deputy general manager of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), on the first day of the Zhuhai Air Show.

"We will choose international suppliers through bidding. But priority will go to foreign suppliers that design and manufacturer products with domestic companies in China," he said.