The manufacturer of China’s home-grown passenger jets is ramping up efforts to secure Western-made engines as its aircraft production slumps and rivals race for scarce components amid a supply crunch afflicting the global aviation industry.
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By dispatching teams to key overseas suppliers, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) is seeking to smooth out communication and secure delivery of more Leap-1C engines, according to two people with knowledge of the trips.
And as the state-owned aerospace firm’s task forces pound the pavement to address the widespread engine shortage, suppliers and industry observers say relief may arrive next year if political tensions and capacity constraints ease.
The Leap-1C, produced by CFM International, is being used in Comac’s C919 narrowbody aircraft as development of a domestic equivalent continues. CFM is a consortium formed between US-based GE Aerospace and French company Safran Aircraft Engines.
In recent months, Comac personnel, including executives and technicians, shuttled between their Shanghai headquarters and an engine-production facility managed by CFM near Paris, the sources told the Post, adding that the Leap-1C was the focus of the discussions.
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Speaking on condition of anonymity, they also said the visits had come after some partially completed airframes at Comac’s Shanghai plant were unable to be handed over to airlines in recent months while awaiting engines.