The COMAC C919 is about to take to the skies: China Eastern will be their first customer in the launch of this new narrow-body aircraft, which is nearing final assembly and is scheduled for first delivery at the end of this year.
The C919 is built by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) and seeks to compete against the big Western manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing in the A320 and B737 segment.
As reported by Reuters, the C919 program is still in the process of obtaining its airworthiness certificate, and according to the Chinese aviation authority, the aircraft is currently in the limited batch production phase.
Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines is the second-largest airline operator in Mainland China and its COMAC C919 order will be transferred to its regional subsidiary OTT Airlines, which operates out of Hongqiao Airport. OTT operates domestic flights and exclusively operates aircraft from Chinese manufacturers.
OTT Airlines expects to take delivery of the first C919 by the end of 2021, two in 2022, and finalize deliveries in 2023 with two more. Currently, the airline’s fleet consists of 5 COMAC ARJ21-700 with 30 orders pending, this aircraft has a 90-seat capacity in a single-class configuration.
The C919 program had some delays last year due to engine and horizontal stabilizer problems. COMAC had announced that it would have the aircraft certified in 2021 or 2022, and now expects to deliver the first series aircraft this year.
