China made a low-key but historic debut of its C919 civil aircraft at its biggest air show on Tuesday, with some delegates unable to attend the scaled-down event due to Beijing’s zero-Covid policy as cases hit their highest level in recent years six months.   

  In a reminder of the ongoing health crisis slowing China’s return to global aviation, organizers of Airshow China in the southern city of Zhuhai had urged attendees to arrive three days early due to Covid-19 precautions.   

  Even then, some were disqualified from participating on the first day because they had visited an area of ​​Beijing that had positive cases in the past week, three participants said.   

  An executive at a China-based Western engine maker said many Beijing-based delegates went home disappointed, although some were allowed in at the last minute.   

  Organizers did not respond to a request for comment.   

  China’s zero-Covid policy has hampered its domestic airline industry and kept international traffic at a fraction of pre-pandemic levels as Western carriers rebound sharply.   

  The zero-Covid policy comes amid a wider disengagement from the West as China aims for increased self-reliance amid the fallout from tough export sanctions imposed on the Russian air force following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.   

  “Zhuhai is of intense interest to Chinese aerospace watchers, and missing the show is a significant missed opportunity for those seeking to understand China’s opaque commercial and defense aerospace sector,” said Greg Waldron, Asia director of FlightGlobal.   

  Tuesday’s unveiling marked the first time that Western airplane giants Airbus and Boeing shared the stage with China’s new COMAC C919 single-aisle jetliner at the exhibition event.   

  The newly certified domestic rival to the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX took part in the show’s flying display for the first time, performing sharp 45-degree turns in green, white and blue.   

  Earlier, four J-20 stealth fighter jets dropped in close formation.   

  The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) reported orders from leasing companies for 300 C919s and 30 ARJ21 regional jets.   

  As with previous announcements, it was not immediately clear how many were firm orders or expressions of interest.  COMAC plans to deliver the first C919 to China Eastern in December.   

  Analysts say it will be some time before the C919 opens up an entrenched Airbus-Boeing market duopoly outside China, but Tuesday’s report marked a turning point 10 years after the first orders were revealed at the same event.   

  Instead, the sun was setting in China on Tuesday on one of Europe’s most visible global symbols, the double-decker A380.   

  Tracking website FlightRadar24 reported that China Southern Airlines operated its last A380 flight from Los Angeles on Tuesday.  The airline did not respond to a request for comment.   

  Production of the world’s largest aircraft ended last year after weak sales, including a near miss in the Chinese market.  An A380 parts auction was held in France last month.   

  Analysts say Airbus is, however, enjoying strong demand for its best-selling A320neo, driven by tensions in the US that have delayed renewed Boeing MAX deliveries following a security crisis.   

  Airbus on Tuesday officially closed an order for 40 new-family A320 aircraft from Boeing’s wholly-owned Xiamen Airlines.   

  China watchers said the airline’s decision to ease its reliance on Boeing was seen as particularly symbolic after Chinese leader Xi Jinping toured the cockpit of a larger Xiamen 787 on a visit to Boeing’s Seattle factory in 2015.   

  Europe also took new steps with the certification for Chinese markets of the ATR 42-600 turbo engine after a long wait.   

  The show came amid rising tensions between China and Taiwan after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in August, sparking massive Chinese military exercises at a time when the world is also reeling from the conflict in Ukraine. .   

  The state-run Global Times reported that a new anti-drone defense system built around the HQ-17AE short-range air defense missile complex would debut in Zhuhai as a countermeasure to low, slow and small drones that are difficult to track and attack. with traditional anti-aircraft systems.   

  China is also showing off a model FH-97A “Loyal Wingman” unmanned aircraft designed to coordinate with manned aircraft, the newspaper said.  The aircraft is different from the FH-97 prototype that was first introduced last year.   

  The FH-97 is almost identical to the US-developed Kratos Defense and Security Solutions XQ-58A Valkyrie, which first flew in 2019, while the FH-97A is more similar to Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat developed in Australia, the photos show.   

  “Early images from the show suggest it will again be a big bazaar of Chinese UAV technology, including mock-ups of unmanned combat aircraft that could one day accompany Chinese J-20 fighters in combat,” Waldron said.   

  “However, it can be very difficult to tell whether the various UAV models in the exhibition actually represent programs with investment from the Chinese military.”