French media : C919 is a "clone airliner" of A320

 Direct translation

Is China's C919 a "clone airliner"? ! Let's start with the Airbus A320 that "became a ghost overnight" that year...

Editor : Shi Fang / Source: Xin Touke / https://www.aboluowang.com/2025/0701/2241108.html / Image : China's first domestically produced large passenger aircraft, the C919, was delivered to China Eastern Airlines. Photo: Reproduced from CCTV News

French intelligence agencies and Airbus SE recently revealed that the C919 passenger aircraft that is put into commercial operation by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in 2023 is suspected to be "cloned" from the Airbus A320. 

According to French media reports, in the early 2000s, China purchased two A320s, one of which was "mysteriously missing" without being registered and never put into operation. It is suspected that it was dismantled to copy parts to help the development of C919. The C919 and A320 are highly similar in specifications such as fuselage size and weight, which has aroused doubts from the outside world.

French intelligence agencies and former Airbus executives confirmed that there was indeed an A320 that "became a ghost plane overnight" that year, suspected of "deceptive transactions" to narrow the gap in aviation technology in China. It was also pointed out that Airbus was warned at the first time that China might copy the technology but Airbus chose to suppress the incident in order to maintain the Chinese market and cooperate with the Tianjin assembly plant. The French TV station M6 documentary "France-China: The Secret War" revealed that China has long been stealing French aviation and technology technology, and the disappearance of the A320 is an example.

At present, there are 18 C919s operating in China, and the number is planned to increase to 150 by 2028, but because it has not been certified by the U.S. FAA and the European EASA, it is limited to domestic routes. Core components still rely on the supply of the United States and Europe, showing a technological gap. France is worried that if the C919 is internationally certified, it will impact the EU market like Chinese electric vehicles and threaten Airbus' competitiveness. Experts warn that the rise of China's aviation industry may reshape the global market landscape, and Airbus Group is facing the dual challenges of technology plagiarism and market competition.

The word "kelong" comes from the English word "clone", which originally refers to the use of asexual reproduction technology in biology to replicate organisms with exactly the same genes as the original individual. It is extended to mean that China's C919 passenger aircraft is suspected of highly imitating or copying the design, structure and technology of the Airbus A320. France accused China of dismantling an A320, analyzing its parts and internal structure, and then manufacturing the C919 with very similar specifications to the A320 in terms of fuselage size, weight, etc., calling it a "clone airliner", implying technical plagiarism or unauthorized imitation rather than completely independent research and development.

Comparing the relevant parameters of the C919 and the A320, it can be found that they are similar. The fuselage length of the C919 is slightly longer than that of the A320, about 1.33 m, the fuselage width is only 0.01 m more, the height is slightly higher by 0.19 m, and the wingspan is the same. The cabin width difference is small, the C919 is slightly wider by about 0.03 m, providing similar passenger space; the empty weight of the C919 is about 3,100 kg heavier than the A320neo, but the maximum take-off weight is slightly lower by 1,700 kg, and the load capacity is also about 2,500 kg lower, indicating that the A320neo is slightly better in load and take-off performance. The C919 and A320 are highly similar in fuselage size. The C919 is slightly longer and taller, and the cabin width is almost the same, but the A320neo performs better in maximum take-off weight, load and range; the C919 focuses on regional routes but there is still a gap in technical maturity and market certification.