Air Cambodia to become latest customer for China-made COMAC planes

SEOUL/BEIJING, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Air Cambodia said it could buy up to 20 Chinese-made C909 regional jets, adding Cambodia to a growing list of Southeast Asian customers of China's state-owned planemaker COMAC, which is seeking to sell its aircraft globally.

Flag carrier Air Cambodia and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) both said on Tuesday they had signed a memorandum of understanding in China for 10 confirmed C909 orders, with the option to purchase 10 more.

COMAC is developing its own commercial jets to compete with dominant planemakers Airbus AIR.PA and Boeing BA.N, but has yet to strike deals outside of China and China-friendly countries in Southeast Asia.

Its narrow-body C919, which is intended to compete against the popular Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX models, is currently operated only by Chinese carriers.

However, COMAC has placed its older and smaller C909 regional jet with airlines in Indonesia, Vietnam and Laos, as stepping stones into foreign markets, and signed orders for both models with an airline in Brunei.

Lao Airlines this month took delivery of its second C909 and started flying the model cross-border to the Thai capital Bangkok. COMAC has also proposed taking a majority stake in Laos' debt-troubled national carrier.

Cambodia is a close ally of China, and its King Norodom Sihamoni attended China's largest-ever military parade in Beijing last week.

"The two parties will collaborate closely on aircraft delivery, operational support, and industry development," COMAC said in its statement.

The C909, previously branded as the ARJ21, seats up to 90 people and is China's first jet-powered plane to reach commercial production. It entered service in 2016.

No details were given on when the aircraft would be delivered. Air Cambodia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.