The state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) announced that six C919 test jets have successfully completed their test-flight trials and the new narrow-body aircraft is now ready to obtain a flight certificate from the country’s Civil Aviation Administration.
China launched its first domestically designed commercial passenger aircraft program back in 2008, but it faced a flood of regulatory and technical setbacks, including US export controls. While the aircraft is assembled in China, the C919 relies on Western-designed and produced parts, such as flight controls and jet engines.
China’s state-owned manufacturer started C919 production in 2011, the first prototype was ready in 2015 and now the aircraft is nearing its official flight certification which is necessary for commercial operations.
The first C919 is expected to be delivered to state-owned China Eastern Airlines in August. The airline placed an order for five C919 jets back in March 2021.
China designed C919 to compete with Europe’s Airbus 320neo and American-made Boeing 737 MAX passenger jets. However, this quest may prove quite difficult for new Chinese-made plane, since Airbus has a very strong presence in China (142 Airbus commercial aircraft were delivered to Chinese companies in 2021 alone), and the Boeing 737 MAX was cleared to operate in the country again earlier in 2022 after two fatal crashes grounded the plane in 2019. At least 100 MAX jets are expected to be delivered to Chinese airlines this year.
The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) is a Chinese state-owned aerospace manufacturer established on 11 May 2008 in Shanghai. The headquarters are in Pudong, Shanghai. The company has a registered capital of RMB 19 billion (US$2.7 billion as of May 2008). The corporation is a designer and constructor of large passenger aircraft with capacities of over 150 passengers.
Airbus SE is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft in Europe and various countries outside Europe. The company has three divisions: Commercial Aircraft (Airbus S.A.S.), Defense and Space, and Helicopters, the third being the largest in its industry in terms of revenues and turbine helicopter deliveries. As of 2019, Airbus is the world’s largest airliner manufacturer.
The Boeing Company is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support services. Boeing is among the largest global aerospace manufacturers; it is the third-largest defense contractor in the world based on 2020 revenue and is the largest exporter in the United States by dollar value.
