Brunei Darussalam has become the first ASEAN nation to officially recognize China's aircraft certification system, with its Department of Civil Aviation adding the Civil Aviation Administration of China to its list of approved regulatory authorities in amendments published Thursday, October 23, 2025, marking a strategic breakthrough for Chinese aviation manufacturer COMAC in Southeast Asia.
Previously, Brunei Darussalam only recognized aircraft designs certified by major Western regulators including the US Federal Aviation Administration, Canada's Transport Canada, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and Brazil's aviation authority, but the regulatory shift now permits Brunei-based airlines to operate CAAC-certified aircraft such as COMAC's C909 regional jet and C919 narrowbody airliner.
The decision directly supports Brunei Darussalam-based startup airline GallopAir, which placed orders in 2023 for 15 C909 jets and 15 C919 jets—becoming the first non-Chinese airline to order the C919—though COMAC has not yet delivered any aircraft and the timeline remains unclear, according to GallopAir CEO Cham Chi.
The C909, a 90-seat regional jet that entered commercial service in 2016 as China's first domestically built jetliner, and the larger C919, designed to compete with the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX, still await approval from major Western regulators, with EASA estimating 3-6 years to complete certification.
Viet Nam earlier this year also added CAAC to its approved regulators list, suggesting growing regional acceptance of Chinese aircraft certification, though the C919 and C909 face significant challenges including production delays, reliance on foreign components like the LEAP-1C engine, and the need to establish global maintenance networks and proven operational reliability before securing large international orders.
