ICBC Financial Leasing Co., China’s biggest financial leasing company, will promote sales of the airliner, according to a report by China Daily.
Manufactured by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd., the C919 is benefitting from ICBC Financial Leasing Co. as its biggest launching client so far. The latter company has already placed 45 orders, but Cong Lin, its chairman, stated that it will be assuming a big role in promoting the airliner internationally. The two companies have signed an agreement during the 2015 China Aviation Expo in Beijing.
"The City Airways' orders show the international market is receptive to China-made aircraft," said Cong after Bangkok-based City Airways recently signed an option to avail of 10 orders of the C919.
Jiang Bo, the head of aviation finance at ICBC Financial Leasing, said that with an established network of more than 40 overseas clients across six continents, the company has a strong advantage in promoting the C919 globally.
"Our experience on the international market could prove invaluable for this and other China-made airplane manufacturers, in their efforts to expand globally," said Jiang. "We are including the promotion of the C919 within our own global marketing activities, but we are realistic that we have to be patient."
However, Jiang admitted that the C919 could be a hard-sell on a global scale since it is currently at the test-flight stage. He expects months of testing to take place before the plane undergoes an increased production phase.
Industry insiders have also stated that potential international clients have expressed doubts, saying that the global marketing for the C919 is going too slow.
"It has focused for years on manufacturing, but a solid marketing and service infrastructure is yet to be put in place," said Zhang Yugui, dean of the school of economics and finance at the Shanghai International Studies University.