For once, something China relies on the US for to build is the problem, and not the other way around...

Deliveries of China’s first narrowbody jet, the C919, appear to be lagging, with financial reports from the country’s top three airlines raising questions about engine supply, the South China Morning Post wrote this week.

Air China and China Eastern each received only one aircraft in the first half of the year despite targeting 10 additions in 2025. China Southern, which expected 12 deliveries this year, reported “financially leased” just three by June, without noting ownership.

Flightradar24 data shows higher totals: Air China and China Southern with five C919s each, and China Eastern with 11. Future plans remain ambitious – Air China expects 10 deliveries in 2026 and 2027, while China Eastern projects nine this year, then 10 each in 2026 and 2027.

SCMP writes that the jet’s maker, Comac, aims to challenge Airbus and Boeing, and says over 2 million passengers have flown on the model since its May 2023 debut. But analysts warn of pressure on engine supplies. “Comac has stockpiled some engines and key systems … these buffers cover months of production rather than years,” aviation advisory IBA said.

Independent analyst Li Hanming added: “GE is concerned about the delivery of Leap engines,” noting Comac’s “very low profile.” The LEAP-1C is jointly produced by GE and France’s Safran. While the Trump administration briefly suspended engine sales earlier this year, the ban was lifted in July.

IBA cautioned that reliance on US-made modules is a “strategic vulnerability.”

Some analysts argue demand in China isn’t urgent. Civil aviation data shows utilisation rates at 8.9 hours per aircraft in 2023 versus the global average of 9.3. “I’d say there is no need for capacity at the moment,” said Dennis Lau of Asian Sky Group. “There are plenty of aircraft floating around in China.”

Outside China, Comac has sold its smaller C909 (formerly ARJ21) in Southeast Asia but is still seeking approval for the C919. IBA predicts “more measured growth” than Comac’s stated targets.