China's state-run planemaker Comac is targeting sales of 28 C919 passenger jets in 2026, up from 15 last year, though far short of its earlier ambition of 75, reported Hong Kong's China Economic Review.

Since the rollout in 2022, Comac has sold only 25 of the C919, a modest figure compared with the more than 4,000 aircraft currently operating in China. The C919, developed since 2008 and first prototyped in 2011, is positioned as China's answer to the Airbus 320 but with less advanced technology.

Comac recently announced test flights to gain certification for the EU market, though the aircraft is currently only approved to fly within China.

Despite the push, Comac's sales pale against Boeing and Airbus, which each sold more than 1,000 planes last year. Analysts note that while China excels in high-tech manufacturing and is catching up in fields such as robotics and AI, producing commercial airliners poses unique challenges given passenger safety requirements.

With European safety tests still in progress and the project advancing slowly, the prospect of Chinese-made jets flying in western skies remains distant. However, Beijing's political influence and drive for self-sufficiency in essential technologies continue to underpin Comac's ambitions.