COMAC C919: Chinese rival to Airbus and Boeing in the single-aisle segment, closer to take off

The COMAC C919 narrow-body aircraft is closer to obtaining its type certification after completing all flight test tasks, according to Reuters.

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State-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) confirmed on Saturday that all six airplanes in the test programme have completed the stipulated activities. The model will now enter the final phase of the process to obtain the final certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

The C919 programme is designed to compete in the medium-range, single-aisle aircraft with less than 200 seats segment. Once the model obtains the necessary regulatory approvals, it will compete directly with Airbus’ A320neo family and Boeing’s 737 MAX variants.

According to the manufacturer, the C919 can carry between 158 and 168 passengers with a standard range of 4.075 kilometres and a maximum range of 5.555 kilometres. In March 2021, China Eastern Airlines confirmed the first commercial agreement to acquire the model by signing a purchase contract for five aircraft. The first production aircraft of the C919, which will be the first to be delivered to the airline, completed its maiden flight in May this year.

Wow. COMAC C919 elephant walk. pic.twitter.com/YWIlu410y4

— ChinaAviationReview (@ChinaAvReview) July 24, 2022

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Difficulties

However, the development was not without complications. Since its introduction in 2008, COMAC has faced problems in the supply of spare parts from its suppliers and the tightening of export controls by the United States.

Since December 2020, the North American country has required special licenses to export components and technological assistance to any company with ties to the Chinese military. This measure particularly affected the development of the programme, which had already suffered delays in its initial schedule.

While the aircraft is assembled in China, it relies heavily on Western components. The powerplant and avionics, two key elements in the development of a new aircraft, are not produced in China. As a result, the project became more vulnerable to international restrictions on exports and technology transfer.

It is important to note that COMAC will not seek certification of the C919 by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Due to economic and geopolitical factors, these are not markets of interest to the Chinese manufacturer, or that it can easily entice. However, in China’s aviation market and in those countries with which the Asian giant maintains fluid relations and greater influence, the new model could compete with Western manufacturers for a considerable share of the total market.