HONG KONG -- Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, the strategic state-owned manufacturer that aspires to rival Boeing and Airbus, is spreading its wings after winning the first order for its new wide-body jetliner while ringing up more sales of smaller models.
Air China, one of the big three state-owned carriers, became the first to sign up to buy the C929, according to a COMAC announcement on Tuesday, the opening day of the country's premier aviation exhibition in the southern city of Zhuhai. A familiar question continues to haunt the manufacturer, however: whether it can expand beyond Chinese carriers and lessors, as it has yet to gain necessary certifications elsewhere.
