According to Reuters on Wednesday, US lawmakers have warned Ireland’s Ryanair not to purchase the Chinese-manufactured C919 aircraft for safety reasons.
The Irish budget airline had previously stated that it would consider buying Chinese aircraft if the price was right.
Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois sent a letter to Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, citing the close relationship between the Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC and the Chinese military. There is evidence suggesting COMAC illegally obtained foreign intellectual property for profit.
“In all honesty, American and European airlines should not even consider buying planes from Chinese military-linked companies in the future,” wrote the top-ranking Democratic member of the House China Communist Party specially committee in the letter.
Reuters was unable to immediately reach COMAC for comment. Ryanair also did not immediately comment.
O’Leary told Skift in March that if the price was right, he would order planes from China. Previously, the Irish airline had signaled it would look for aircraft manufacturers outside of Boeing and its European competitor Airbus.
With the backdrop of the US-China trade war impacting Boeing and other aerospace companies, O’Leary’s statements have drawn increasing attention. Boeing is one of the largest exporters in the US.
The Chinese authorities ordered Chinese airlines to delay receiving Boeing aircraft deliveries and send back three 737 MAX planes parked in China awaiting delivery to the US. However, airlines from countries like India expressed willingness to take over canceled or delayed Boeing orders from China.
The C919 passenger plane from COMAC is designed to compete with the popular narrow-body aircraft from Airbus and Boeing. The model obtained domestic safety certification in China in 2022 and began operations in China in 2023.
It may take several years for the C919 to obtain certification from European aviation regulatory authorities.
Krishnamoorthi stated in the letter that COMAC is attempting to dominate the aircraft manufacturing industry at the expense of Boeing and Airbus.
In mid-April, O’Leary told the Financial Times that if tariffs were imposed on Boeing aircraft, Ryanair might delay purchasing Boeing planes.
The US aviation industry is lobbying the White House for tariff exemptions, urging the reinstatement of the tax-free system stipulated in the 1979 Civil Aircraft Agreement.
(This article is partly based on Reuters reports)