US restricts aircraft component exports to Chinese manufacturer Comac
Washington caps export licenses for critical aviation hardware to Comac, increasing delivery pressures on Chinese airliner programs.
The United States Department of Commerce has begun capping export licenses for aircraft components supplied to Chinese airframer Comac. The decision seeks to prevent the manufacturer from accumulating substantial inventories, amid a deliberate slowdown in export approvals for aeronautical hardware shipped to China.
American regulators are currently reviewing a draft framework to place landing gear, hydraulic fluids, and other key system assemblies under stricter licensing requirements. Meanwhile, Washington has withheld supply guarantees requested by Beijing regarding long-term spare parts for roughly 200 Boeing airliners agreed upon in early 2026. This follows prior supply halts in May 2025 targeting CFM International LEAP-1C and General Electric CF34-10A powerplants, which were temporarily paused after diplomatic concessions on rare earth elements.
Western supply chain bottlenecks continue to hinder Comac production schedules. The company delivered only 15 C919 aircraft in 2025, falling well short of its initial target of 75 units. During the first nine months of 2026, deliveries reached eleven C919 airliners across Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, along with six regional jets. Despite efforts to develop indigenous solutions like the CJ-1000A engine, the program remains reliant on Western technologies, facing further assembly delays if trade curbs expand.
Why it matters for your training
Supply chain restrictions directly affect commercial fleet expansion schedules, aircraft deliveries, and spare parts availability across airline operations.
Sources
Article rewritten with the help of AI from the cited sources.