Total Linhas Aéreas, a small airline focused on cargo and charter, is looking to become the first carrier outside Asia to buy aircraft from Chinese state-owned manufacturer COMAC, which is seeking to enter the global enger jet market dominated by Western companies. Paulo Almada, Total’s controlling shareholder, said the company has been in talks with COMAC for several months and plans to visit it in October to discuss a possible order for up to four C919s.
Brazil’s Ports and Airports Minister Silvio Costa Filho revealed that Total Linhas Aéreas has approached the government to discuss its intentions but has not yet presented a formal project. A possible deal could cement Brazil-China ties in the aviation sector ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit in November.
However, some industry observers have expressed skepticism about Total's business plan for China's jets.
“The industry is dealing with supply shortages, but COMAC told us they could deliver the aircraft by March next year”, said Almada, who declined to share documents from the negotiation, citing a confidentiality agreement.
According to Almada, the company had to look for manufacturers outside of the conventional ones, such as Airbus and Boeing, due to the difficulty these companies had in meeting the demand for new aircraft, due to limitations in the supply chain.
Embraer, in turn, will have production vacancies from 2026, but only supplies aircraft with less than 150 seats.
The lack of certification outside China, especially in the US and the European Union, represents one of the main challenges for the C919. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is currently evaluating the aircraft.
Although ANAC has reported that a formal certification request has not yet been filed, Total is committed to pushing for the certification of Chinese aircraft in Brazil, according to Almada.
