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Air Cambodia becomes the latest COMAC aircraft customer

Air Cambodia announced that it would buy up to twenty C909 regional aircraft made in China. This adds Cambodia to the growing list of Southeast Asian countries who are customers of China’s state-owned planemaker COMAC. COMAC is looking to sell their aircraft worldwide.

Air Cambodia, the flag carrier of Cambodia, and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China announced on Tuesday that they had signed an agreement in China to confirm 10 C909 aircraft orders with the option of purchasing 10 more.

COMAC has developed its own commercial jets in order to compete with the dominant planemakers Airbus & Boeing but is yet to sign any deals outside China and China friendly countries of Southeast Asia.

Currently, only Chinese airlines operate the C919, a narrow-body aircraft designed to compete with popular Airbus A320neo models and Boeing 737 MAX.

COMAC, however, has signed orders for its smaller and older C909 regional aircraft with airlines in Indonesia and Vietnam, to help them break into the foreign market. They have also placed their older C909 regional plane with a Brunei airline.

Lao Airlines took delivery of a second C909 this month and began flying the model across the border to Bangkok, the Thai capital. COMAC also suggested taking a majority share in Laos’ debt-ridden national carrier.

Cambodia is an ally of China. Its King Norodom Sihamoni was present at China's biggest-ever military parade held in Beijing, last week.

COMAC's statement said that the two parties would work closely together on aircraft deliveries, operational support and industry development.

It is China's very first jet-powered aircraft to be produced commercially. It was first put into service in 2016.

The exact date of delivery was not disclosed. Air Cambodia did no respond immediately to a comment request. Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Sophie Yu, both in Seoul; editing by Jamie Freed

(source: Reuters)