Boeing plans Embraer alliance

China's C919 faces stiff competition as its main rivals chart consolidation moves

Airbus and Boeing are teaming up with smaller regional rivals to boost sales at the lower end of their $100 billion-a-year commercial plane duopoly, posing stiff competition to China's efforts to grow its presence in the sector, said industry analysts.

US planemaker Boeing Co and Brazil's Embraer SA said on Thursday that they were discussing a "potential combination" widely assumed to focus on jetliners, confirming a report in the Wall Street Journal.