China’s C909 passenger aircraft is facing negative news once again. Vietnam’s VietJet Air has reportedly ceased leasing two C909 aircraft from China recently, with no plans for direct purchase. The leasing agreement was originally part of the outcome of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam in April.
According to reports from Reuters on October 20th, two sources familiar with the matter stated that VietJet Air has stopped leasing the two C909 aircraft from China since the 18th of this month, and there are no plans for direct purchase. One source mentioned that the reason for the cessation of the lease was due to high operational costs and regulatory restrictions in Vietnam’s aviation laws.
It is reported that the final flight of the C909 with VietJet Air was on the 17th, flying back from Con Dao to Hanoi.
Civil aircraft produced by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) have not deeply penetrated the international market. The leasing of these two C909 aircraft by VietJet Air was seen as a significant breakthrough for COMAC.
VietJet Air declined to comment on this news report, while COMAC did not respond to Reuters’ verification.
Originally named ARJ21, the C909 is China’s first commercially produced jetliner that went into operation in 2016. It is a narrow-body aircraft capable of carrying 90 passengers and is positioned as a regional aircraft. Southeast Asia has always been a target market for COMAC.
Moreover, in the context of the US-China trade war, there have been concerns about parts being cut off for the C909.
The main reason the main commercial aircraft model C919 of COMAC is airworthy is because it incorporates key technologies from American companies including GE Aerospace, Honeywell International, and RTX.
According to previous reports by Reuters, as the Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued countermeasures against the US, President Trump announced plans to control the export of aircraft components. Trump stated at the White House: “We have a lot of things, and one of the very big factors is airplanes. They (China) have a lot of Boeing planes and they need parts, and a lot of things like that.”
Huarih Daily noted that President Trump has significant power in preventing American companies from supplying parts to COMAC. Huarih Daily reported in 2020 that Trump’s first administration had considered such actions.
Even if the Chinese government allows the import of American aircraft parts for COMAC, import tariffs in China would significantly raise the price of C919, making it more challenging to market internationally.
Chinese self-media “Chinese Civil Aviation People” published an article stating that if China faces obstacles or even sanctions when importing American products and technology, it could lead to production difficulties for the C919 aircraft.
Currently, Chinese airlines have ordered 365 C919 aircraft, but due to US restrictions on component exports, production capacity has been significantly constrained. As of September 2025, COMAC has only delivered 5 aircraft, far below the initial expectation of 32 aircraft.