China’s COMAC Breaks Into Southeast Asia as Brunei Recognises C919 Certification

China’s COMAC Secures Southeast Asia Breakthrough

Mohd Hanif Ismail - : Nov 3, 2025 - : 1:51 pm

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In a landmark development for the Asia-Pacific aerospace sector, Brunei has formally accepted the airworthiness regulations of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), signalling enhanced access for Chinese-built jets such as the C919 narrow-body into the region’s lucrative aviation market. The move represents one of the first steps in China’s wider strategy to challenge the long-standing duopoly held by Airbus and Boeing in commercial airliner manufacturing.

Under the revised regime, Brunei’s aviation authorities now recognise the certification issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for large aircraft — previously approval had been limited to certificates issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States, and the Transport Canada Civil Aviation. According to the Chinese Embassy in Brunei, the regulatory change formalises recognition of China’s civil-aviation standards.

Analysts view the step as a strategic win for COMAC’s international ambitions. The company, which already enjoys hundreds of orders for the C919 from domestic Chinese carriers, has been seeking to expand beyond China’s borders. Brunei’s change in certification policy comes ahead of what would be the first overseas operator of the C919 — the Bruneian start-up airline GallopAir, which in 2023 placed an order valued at US$2 billion (approx. US$2 billion) for 30 COMAC aircraft including the C919 and the smaller regional jet formerly known as the ARJ-21.

The move has several implications for defence and aerospace trade in the region. First, it demonstrates Beijing’s willingness to leverage regulatory diplomacy to open markets for its aerospace products, thereby altering the competitive landscape in Southeast Asia. Second, it may pave the way for Chinese civil-aviation standards to become more widely accepted regionally — which could influence dual-use considerations, supply-chain decisions and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) investments tied to aircraft operations in the region. Third, by facilitating Chinese-built jets’ access to ASEAN member states, the move introduces new dynamics for OEMs, financiers and national carriers assessing fleet renewal or expansion strategies.

For regional states, especially smaller ASEAN economies, the Brunei precedent may offer an alternative to Western-certified aircraft — potentially with more favourable financing or industrial-offset terms. However, commercial success for COMAC remains uncertain: while the C919 is certified domestically in China and has entered service with Chinese airlines, full certification by Western regulators has not yet been achieved, and international deliveries remain pending.

Looking ahead, industry watchers will be keen to see whether other Asia-Pacific regulators follow Brunei’s lead in recognising CAAC certification, and whether COMAC can deliver on its promised export pipeline. The success or otherwise of the C919’s international expansion will be observed closely — not only as a commercial story, but as a strategic indicator of China’s tightening grip on regional aerospace supply chains and standards governance.