Although some pundits have been dismissive of China's proposed C919 single-aisle airliner, one of the world's biggest airlines appears to be taking it seriously. In an address to an engineers' convention in Toulouse Tuesday, Willie Walsh, CEO of British Airways' parent IAG, said that on paper, at least, the C919 looks like a viable alternative to Airbus's A318/319/320 and the Boeing 737. "My view is you have a real competitor," Walsh is quoted by Bloomberg as saying. "The C919 looks very good on paper. There's a lot of improvement in fuel consumption and environmental performance." Walsh also hinted that the C919, which could easily be mistaken for an A320, may be less expensive than its Western rivals.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/news/british-airways-ceo-likes-chinese-airliner