On Wednesday evening, the Vietnam government announced that it will think about removing regulations that currently prevent aircraft made by the Chinese state-owned company COMAC from flying in the country.

The goal of COMAC is to position itself as a rival to the two major Western aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing. However, the corporation wants to increase its presence in foreign markets, and its two passenger plane models now operate virtually exclusively within mainland China. The national aviation regulator must give its clearance before an airline may operate any model of aircraft. 

Following a meeting between Ha and COMAC Board Director Tan Wangeng in Hanoi, the government announced in a statement that Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha had given the transport ministry the task of reviewing current regulations to eliminate regulatory barriers and allow COMAC planes to operate in Vietnam. COMAC has been targeting Vietnam as a potential market for a while and conducted a marketing tour in Southeast Asia last February, during which it brought two demonstration planes to the country.

However, COMAC does not have certification from the EU or the United States for its short-haul regional jet, the C909, or its larger C919 model. Industry sources say this lack of certification is making it difficult for the company to sell or lease these planes to foreign airlines. According to Ha, Vietnam's top private airline, VietJet, a low-cost carrier, may collaborate with a Chinese airline that operates COMAC aircraft as a first step to test aircraft on specific routes. VietJet refused to comment on any possible collaboration with COMAC when asked earlier this week.