According to a report from Kuaitech on October 24th， the Civil Aviation Authority of Brunei has new regulations permitting Brunei Airlines to operate Chinese-manufactured passenger aircraft. This development marks a significant step in the international acceptance of China’s aviation industry.
In fact， as early as 2023， Brunei’s T7 Aviation placed an order for C909 and C919 passenger jets from COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China). Historically， the Bruneian aviation authority had restricted operations to aircraft designed and certified by aviation authorities in the United States， Canada， Europe， and Brazil， specifically mentioning Boeing， Airbus， and Embraer. With China’s Civil Aviation Administration now officially recognized， COMAC aircraft， which have long been certified by the Chinese authority， are now eligible for operation within Brunei.
T7 Aviation is an air transport enterprise established in Brunei with investment from Shaanxi Tianju Investment Group. It was registered in Singapore in October 2021 and is the second airline headquartered in Brunei， following Royal Brunei Airlines. This foundational detail underscores T7 Aviation’s commitment to establishing a significant presence in the region’s aviation landscape.
T7 Aviation signed a letter of intent with COMAC on September 24， 2023， for the procurement of 30 aircraft. This order includes 15 C919 trunk jetliners and 15 ARJ21 series aircraft (later renamed C909). The C909 order further breaks down into 10 regional jetliners， 3 freighters， 1 medical evacuation aircraft， and 1 business jet， with a total value of $2 billion. This substantial order represents COMAC’s first overseas order for the C919 and its second for the ARJ-21， following an earlier order from Indonesia’s TransNusa. The diversity within the C909 order， encompassing passenger， cargo， special mission， and business variants， highlights the adaptability and versatility of COMAC’s product line， catering to a broad spectrum of market demands.
According to the airline’s plans， T7 Aviation intends to launch routes connecting Brunei with cities in China such as Nanning and Guilin in Guangxi Province. This strategic expansion into Chinese markets is likely driven by tourism and economic ties between Brunei and China， and could foster greater connectivity and trade opportunities.
