COMAC: China’s Challenge to the Global Aerospace Duopoly

This case explores the rise of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), a state-owned enterprise created in 2008 with the mission to reduce China’s dependence on Western aircraft manufacturers. It follows COMAC’s journey through major product developments, the ARJ21, the C919, the C909, and the widebody CR929, and examines its ambitions to break into the global commercial aerospace market. The case presents COMAC’s competitive context, technological challenges, regulatory barriers, political dependencies, and international expansion attempts, culminating in its recent entry into Southeast Asian markets through wet-leasing arrangements. Students are invited to analyze COMAC’s strategic positioning, assess its competitive options, and recommend strategic paths forward.