Publications
Publications
- January 2025
- HBS Case Collection
COMAC - Chinese Aviation Soars to New Heights
By: William C. Kirby and Daniel Fu
Abstract
COMAC's C919 manifested the first challenge to the Boeing-Airbus duopoly since it came to dominate aircraft manufacturing in the 1990s. Beijing sought to export the C919 abroad in its quest to become a "transportation superpower." Was it a wise decision for COMAC to seek global expansion amid an uncertain regulatory environment and unreliable supply-chains? How should the company seek to navigate potential export controls and restrictions imposed by the United States that affected other Chinese companies? What approach should it undertake in Europe and what kind of roadmap should it follow for expansion into the region?
Keywords
Aviation; Boeing; Airbus; Aircraft; State-owned Enterprise (SOE); Chinese Manufacturing; Airline Industry; Airports; Global Strategy; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Duopoly and Oligopoly; Supply Chain; Expansion; Aerospace Industry; China; United States; Europe
Citation
Kirby, William C., and Daniel Fu. "COMAC - Chinese Aviation Soars to New Heights." Harvard Business School Case 325-074, January 2025.