The United States, concerned about a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, wants Israel to consider alternatives to a ground invasion of Rafah, the last relatively safe haven for more than 1 million displaced Palestinian civilians. The US team in the talks will be led by Biden’s national security adviser, JakeContinue Reading
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife had their 14-year prison sentences for graft suspended by a Pakistan high court on Monday (Apr 1), his party said. Khan has been tangled in more than 200 legal cases since he was ousted in April 2022, in what he saidContinue Reading
Prabowo’s decision to visit China ahead of Indonesia’s neighbours in the region underlines the close partnership built up in the past decade under Jokowi when China became Indonesia’s top trading partner, supplying natural resources including nickel and coal. Jokowi’s first visit after his inauguration was to China, for an annualContinue Reading
NEW DELHI: An Indian court renewed detention on Monday (Apr 1) for key opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal until Apr 15 in a graft case, his lawyers said, less than three weeks before voting begins in general elections. In a move that sparked protests last month, India’s financial crime-fighting agency arrestedContinue Reading
NEW DELHI: India’s Income Tax department will not pursue a 35-billion rupee US($420 million) payment from the main opposition Congress party until after the completion of general elections in June, the department told the country’s top court on Monday (Apr 1). The tax department’s decision is seen as a breatherContinue Reading
BEIJING: Indonesia’s president-elect Prabowo Subianto is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday (Apr 1) for high-level talks, less than two months after winning the race to lead Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. Prabowo is visiting at Xi’s invitation to discuss two-way ties, even though the 72-year-oldContinue Reading
China’s foreign ministry on Monday said regardless of what policies the Philippines rolls out, none would affect China’s maritime rights of sovereignty claims. China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its territory, policed by an armada of coastguard vessels, some more than 1,000km away from its mainland. TheContinue Reading
BEIJING: China Southern Airlines on Monday (Apr 1) launched its first flight between Beijing and Macau and said it plans to add 17 international routes, in a sign it expects a pick-up in international travel this year. The airline said at an event in Beijing the routes would be launchedContinue Reading
TECH CAN HELP FARMERS FACING SOARING TEMPERATURES To combat the rice shortfall, Indonesian President Joko Widodo last year drafted in the military to help with planting and subsidised fertiliser distribution. Acknowledging the pressures from rising rice prices to consumers and the more than 15 million households that grow food, theContinue Reading
Other incentives, including export credits (typically up to 85 per cent of a jet’s purchase price), may be extended to airlines willing to punt on the C919. Support in terms of maintenance, repair and overhaul, the construction of hangars and crew training are also included in the package.
That said, the C919 will still a hard sell outside of China’s domestic market. Air travellers may be wary of the “Made in China” label and COMAC has no track record to boost confidence, as a new and relatively unknown player.
Others say its weight – several tonnes heavier than the Airbus A320 and thus, less fuel-efficient – and limited range (5,500km vs about 6,500km for the A320 and Boeing 737 Max) make the C919 unattractive.
Christian Scherer, Airbus’ top salesman, told journalists after watching the C919 fly in Singapore that it “is not going to rock the boat”.
But COMAC is not in the game to make money, at least not for now.
Its strategy is simple: Scale up at home, continue refining its planes, develop its own engines and exploit gaps in the market, at a time when Boeing is reeling from self-inflicted wounds.
While the US remains the world’s largest domestic aviation market, China is a close second and is projected to top the global market for aviation services by 2042, according to Airbus.