China looks to develop big passenger plane

China is seeking suppliers to develop its own widebody passenger plane over the next decade, industry executives said, expanding its ambitions and rivalry with Boeing and Airbus.

The proposed aircraft, tentatively called the C929, would be state-backed Commercial Aircraft Corp of China's (Comac) largest, according to suppliers that have held talks with the firm.

It would be a substantial advance on the smaller 158 to 168-seat narrow-body C919 it is currently developing and the 78 to 90-seat ARJ21 regional jet, which is undergoing test flights.

The goal is for the C929, which could carry several hundred passengers at a time on journeys across Asia, to take flight after 2020, possibly in 2023.

Comac's ambitions will be on parade at China's premier air show, which will open on Tuesday in Zhuhai, with a huge stand highlighting the C919 and a flying display by a prototype ARJ21.

The technological challenges for China to build its own passenger plane are formidable, with some comparing them to the difficulty of sending a mission to the moon.

But the government considers developing a passenger aircraft industry a national priority that would vault it into an elite club of just a handful of nations.