Comac charm offensive sees it court Indonesia, Cambodia airlines

Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd. is making overtures to airlines from Indonesia to Kazakhstan, according to people familiar with the matter, as the planemaker seeks to secure its first international customers for its single-aisle C919 jet. The charm offensive by Comac, as it’s better known, has seen executives hold talks with high-level airline officials including Garuda’s new CEO Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak publicly. Garuda is understood to be in the market for as many as 70 new aircraft and is also talking to Boeing Co. and Airbus SE, the two incumbents that control most of the supply of commercial jets for the global aviation market. The prospects of Comac securing orders for its C919 plane have risen with worsening aircraft delivery delays — exacerbated by supply-chain issues and at Boeing, a production halt due to a major worker strike — as demand for many Boeing and Airbus models are sold out until the end of the decade. Comac has also recently engaged with Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines and Angkor Air in Cambodia, and has lobbied the Indonesian government to secure a marque deal, the people said. It was to have a large presence at the Bali International Air Show in September but ultimately didn’t show up, one person said. Representatives for Comac didn’t respond to a request for comment. Garuda, SCAT Airlines and Angkor Air also didn’t respond to requests for comment. Angkor Air counts Chinese company Xing Gang Investment Group as a shareholder. Indonesia represents a big opportunity for Comac and the new administration, led by President Prabowo Subianto, is keen to revitalize Garuda, the nation’s loss-making flag carrier, and expand its international route network, people familiar with the government’s thinking said.<br/>