COMAC C919: Chinese passenger jet enters scheduled service outside mainland China
The COMAC C919 narrow-body aircraft is a direct competition to the popular Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX passenger jets. The Chinese manufacturer is targeting mass adoption of its C919 in China and Southeast Asia, followed by European markets in the coming years.
On New Year’s eve, the homegrown Chinese commercial aircraft COMAC C919 flew its first-ever scheduled international flight to Hong Kong outside of mainland China. The aircraft’s debut operator, China Eastern Airlines, is switching from its regular Airbus A321 to C919 for its scheduled flights between Shanghai and Hong Kong from January 1.
This indeed marks the official entry of COMAC C919 into the commercial aviation market in the international market. The aircraft is already in domestic commercial operation since 2023 by three Chinese operators, namely China Eastern Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines.
Manufactured by state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the C919 programme began in 2008. The maiden flight of the first prototype took place in 2017, followed by certification from Chinese civil aviation authority (CAAC) for passenger transportation in 2022. At present, the total number of reported orders for the C919 stands at 1,061 units, as per media reports.
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With dimensions quite similar to an Airbus A320, the COMAC C919 boasts a seating capacity of up to 168 passengers and a flying range of about 3,000 nm (5,500 kms). The aircraft is powered by two CFM International LEAP-1C turbofan engines. The Auxiliary power unit (APU) is sourced from Honeywell Aerospace Technologies.
Moreover, two variants of the C919 are in production – the ‘Standard’ and ‘Extended Range’ (ER). The latter model exhibits a slightly higher max take off thrust (MTOT) and max continuous thrust (MCT) than the ‘Standard’ variant. However, no auxiliary fuel tanks are provided in the ER variant as range extenders.
COMAC is keen on stepping up the annual production of its C919, with 150 units targeted in the next 5 years. The company has been doing multiple demonstration tours to promote the aircraft in the Southeast Asian markets, with plans to enable commercial deployment by 2026. It is also trying to secure European certification for C919 this year.
