China’s chief builder of commercial aircraft will display its full product line – including the home-grown C919, the company’s marquee narrowbody airliner – at the Singapore Airshow as it seeks to widen its footprint in Southeast Asia.

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) has “set up” a C919 at the twice-yearly expo, according to independent aviation analyst Li Hanming. The air show is set to begin on Tuesday and run for six days.

A source close to the matter confirmed that the Chinese airliner would have another demonstration flight at the Singapore show, following its overseas debut at the same event two years ago. That edition attracted 60,000 attendees from more than 50 countries.

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The source added that the C919 may be the only single-aisle jet to feature in a fly-by this year, as Airbus would mainly showcase its A350 widebody series and Boeing would only stage ground displays.

Comac executives would use the opportunity presented by the show to meet representatives from civil aviation regulators in member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), both Li and the source said.

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The Chinese manufacturer hosted a forum on Asia-Pacific industrial cooperation in Singapore on Monday, as its partners and potential customers arrived at the city state in advance of the air show. The forum included ongoing and proposed programmes to expand Comac’s “support network” in Southeast Asia, one attendee said.

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