China Delays Airbus Jet Approvals for Months to Press Europe on Comac Certification
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · May 27
China Delays Airbus Jet Approvals for Months to Press Europe on Comac Certification
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · May 27
For several months, China has slow-walked final approvals needed for Airbus jets to enter the country and begin service, according to people familiar with the matter.
The delays are meant to signal Beijing’s frustration with how long European regulators are taking to certify Chinese-made aircraft, especially Comac jets.
The approvals are handled by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, which must clear delivered Airbus planes before they can be put into operation.
The move ties Airbus access to the Chinese market more directly to Europe’s treatment of Comac, widening an aviation dispute beyond safety reviews into commercial leverage.
With Airbus jets grounded, will China's gambit to fast-track its own aircraft certification succeed?
While blocking current Airbus deliveries, why are Chinese airlines placing massive orders for future jets?
Is the Airbus-Comac dispute a key battleground in a wider China-EU economic decoupling?