China’s 168 seater C919 passenger jet is its answer to the duopoly in the airline of America’s Boeing and Europe’s Airbus. And the C919 will be making its maiden flight this Friday.
The C919 was made by state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). Though it faced a three-year long delay due to production issues, this is a major step for Beijing as it looks to boost its profile in the global aviation market.
The C919 is supposed to compete with compete with Boeing’s 737 and the Airbus A320.
According to Reuters, the jet will take to the skies at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport on China’s affluent east coast, at a ceremony expected to be broadcast live on state TV.
“The significance is huge, it’s the first ever large-frame aircraft made in China,” said Xiong Yuexi, a professor and plane design expert at Beihang University in Beijing. “It has a great impact for the Chinese people and the domestic market.”
China first gave the world a glimpse of the plane, which will be able to carry 158-168 passengers, in November 2015 when it rolled it out at a ceremony in Shanghai.
Analysts, however, say the production delays mean the C919 will lag technologically behind improved versions of the A320 and 737 which will enter service in the next two years. China Eastern Airlines is the launch customer for the plane, which COMAC says has 570 orders from 23 customers.
However, the jet likely faces a lengthy journey from first flight to commercial usage.
China’s first home-made jet, the regional ARJ-21, received its type certification in December 2014, six years after its first flight and more than 12 years after it was conceived. It made its maiden passenger flight in June last year.
The plane also relies on an array of overseas technology, with CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric’s aerospace arm and a unit of French firm Safran, supplying the engines.
Others include Honeywell International Inc, United Technologies Corp subsidiary Goodrich, Rockwell Collins Inc and a unit of Parker-Hannifin Corp.
Then there is also the daunting task of selling the jet in a global market dominated by Boeing and Airbus.
China is pushing for recognition globally of its certification by European and U.S. regulators. Without their certification, China would only be able to sell the jet to a handful of countries that accept its certification standards.
Beijing is also already looking beyond the C919, with plans to develop a wide-body long-haul jet with Russia. In November COMAC and its partner United Aircraft Corp said they have started the hunt to find suppliers.
For a graphic on passenger jets compared, click – here
