Beyond Boeing: Why India should inspect China's C919 aircraft, not ignore

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. Opinion TK Arun 4 min Read 17 Apr 2025, 11:17 am Ist So far, the C919 has only been certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Reuters/Edgar Su/File Photo Summary India’s aviation regulator must judge the airworthiness of China’s C919 aircraft – a move that can increase India’s global credibility and indicate its strategic independence in a market that is dominated by Boeing and Airbus. India’s aviation regulator must initiate the process of testing the airworthiness of the China building in the middle-distance passenger aircraft C919. It would be a subtle tip that India is not exactly satisfied with the tariff war declared by US President Donald Trump against the world, despite the subdued official response of New -Delhi. Such a step would indicate that India is capable of taking measures that affect the US economy and US businesses without being abrasive or hard. The Chinese government has asked its airlines not to acquire fresh Boeing aircraft and keeps them from taking deliveries of aircraft already ordered, in retaliation for the 145% tariffs imposed by the US on Chinese. According to news reports, Chinese airline businesses placed orders for about 100 units of 737max aircraft and 11 units of 787 Dreamliners of Boeing. If these aircraft are ready, and Chinese planes refuse to take delivery, it can mean well that Indian aviation companies are in line for their own aircraft orders. This would be a welcome development for a country with fleet shortage. That said, India should not join any Boeing airplanes. The C919, built by the Commercial Aerospace Corp. of China (Comac), is a rival for Boeing’s 737 Max and Airbus’s A320 variants. The plane was initially designed using Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. After the Ukraine War and sanctions against Russia, Comac distanced himself from Russian involvement, with reports on commercial differences that did the round. While the Bombardier of Canada Comac helped with supply chains, the engine was obtained for the C919 from CFM, a joint venture between America’s Ge and France’s Safran (Safran provided the engines for Rafal fighter Jets). C919’s skirt and wings are largely homemade products, which are reportedly designed with China’s super -computing ability for modeling. So far, the C919 has only been certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The plane has been carrying passengers on China’s domestic routes since mid -2023. Neither America’s federal aviation administration nor the European Aviation Safety Agency certified the C919’s airworthiness. As the parental governments of the worldwide duopoly of Boeing and Airbus for medium and long-distance aircraft, neither the US nor the EU feels any urgency to certify a potential participant in their airline champions. Read also | Tariff break: A chance for the EU to get back stronger and more unite the global duopoly that has Boeing pending orders over 4,800 aircraft for its 737 series. Airbus has a waiting list of over 7,200 aircraft for its A320 aircraft. The world needs fresh competition to this duopoly. Aviation is a remedy and catalyst of rapid growth. The inability to meet the needs of the passenger aircraft industry limits global growth. India, one of the world’s fast -growing aviation markets, is particularly affected. Indian passengers pay through the nose for their domestic journey due to the limited capacity on most routes. The certification of C919 does not mean that Indian airline businesses will rush to place orders for large numbers of these aircraft from India’s prickly neighbor. The volatile relationships between the two countries create concerns about the reliability of supplies for parts and components. If India does not suggest buying the C919, why should it make the effort to certify its airworthiness? India may not be in the same league as the US and Europe, but it is a country with a successful space program and proven technological power in various areas. If India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would certify a plane as airworthy, it would have its credibility in a wealth of countries that do not have such certification skills, but the demand for aircraft. If India would initiate certification for the C919, it would offer several benefits. First, it would indicate a welcome gesture of Solidarity with a fellow member of the Brics. India and China are perhaps opponents, but there is a space for collaboration – from a Brics cleaning house isolated from Western sanctions to an alternative reinsurance platform, not at the grace of global hegemons, and even an alternative to digital currencies for the dollar. Two, this would possibly reduce the waiting time for Indian aviation companies that have placed large orders for aircraft. To the extent that Indian certification can improve the confidence in Chinese rival to Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s, and some orders from outside China can go to Comac aircraft. It will liberate Boeing and Airbus to comply with orders from India. Third, it would quietly remind the world that it is no longer the era of William McKinley. The 25th US president, on whom Trump wants to model himself, has won rates and rich-the Spanish-American war and annexed the Philippines, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa. Currently, the global economy is much more linked. U.S. efforts to cause other nations’ pain will lead to unforeseen setbacks for US economic agents. By testing the C919, India would not choose sides. It would show that it knows how to play the long play. Also read: India running to record free trade transactions, as clock is tapping on Trump’s tariff window, all the business news, market news, news events and latest news updates on Live Mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates. More Topics #mint Snapview #ddigital Exclusive #Tariff Hike Mint Special