Supply-Chain Turbulence Grounds China’s C919 Ambitions in Asia-Pacific Aerospace

Supply-Chain Turbulence Grounds China’s C919 Ambitions

Mohd Hanif Ismail - : Nov 12, 2025 - : 1:16 pm

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The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) is encountering mounting headwinds in its bid to challenge Western aerospace dominance, as the output of its flagship narrow-body jet, the C919, falters amid global engine bottlenecks and geopolitical friction. While the programme remains central to Beijing’s industrial strategy, the latest disruptions underscore the fragility of its supply-chain dependencies — a matter of interest not only for commercial aviation but for the broader Asia-Pacific aerospace sector.

According to a report published 11 November 2025, COMAC has dispatched task-forces to visit key overseas suppliers in recent months, in an effort to secure deliveries of the C919’s powerplant — the LEAP‑1C engine manufactured by CFM International, a joint venture between US-based GE Aerospace and France’s Safran Aircraft Engines. The visits follow reports of partially-assembled C919 airframes at the Shanghai plant being unable to proceed to hand-over because of engine supply delays.

COMAC’s problems reflect a broader pattern in the Asia-Pacific region, where aviation and aerospace programmes are increasingly vulnerable to upstream supply-chain stress and strategic export controls. The C919 programme, often portrayed as China’s bid to reduce reliance on Western aerospace technology and to build its own industrial capability, remains heavily dependent on foreign-sourced components — approximately 40 % of its major subsystems are estimated to come from the US and Europe. That structural dependence imposes risk-multipliers in a region where trade and technology tensions between China and Western powers are intensifying.

In September 2025, regulatory filings revealed that COMAC had delivered only five C919 jets by month-nine, despite earlier plans to hand over as many as 32 in 2025, and production targets of up to 75. Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the 2025 delivery target had been slashed from 75 to around 25 units. Engine supply issues are a key driver of this shortfall.

Beyond the immediate production challenge, the Asia-Pacific strategic implications are notable. While COMAC has ambitions to export the C919 and its sibling programmes to regional partners across Southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands, the supply-chain risk and lack of full certification (e.g., from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)) limit its attractiveness as a trusted platform. The delays thus not only hamper COMAC’s commercial goals, but also weaken Beijing’s leverage in its aerospace diplomacy in the region.

Moreover, the engine bottleneck coincides with a moment of intense demand for narrow-body aircraft across the Asia-Pacific, where low-cost carriers and expansion-oriented airlines are seeking fast delivery options. Several regional players have reportedly expressed interest in the C919 as a fleet diversification option. But the current production and supply disruption may push regional airlines to favour Western platforms, reinforcing rather than eroding the Airbus/Boeing duopoly.

For aerospace industry watchers in the Asia-Pacific, the C919 case offers a cautionary tale. It highlights how strategic ambitions in aircraft manufacturing — often linked to national industrial goals — can be undermined by dependencies outside the control of the producer state. As premium engines, avionics and critical systems remain subject to export controls and geopolitical risk, aircraft programmes like the C919 will continue to face headwinds even with strong state backing.

In sum, while the C919 remains a key plank of China’s aerospace-industrial policy, 2025 has exposed the difficulties of scaling up in a contested technological environment. The knock-on effect on regional aerospace supply chains, fleet decisions by Asia-Pacific carriers, and industrial planning make the story relevant far beyond China’s domestic market.