As its test planes completed all of the test flying requirements, China's domestic C919 narrow-body jet, designed to compete with the Airbus-Boeing duopoly, is getting close to certification, the manufacturer announced on Saturday (Jul 23).
The six test aircraft have completed their testing tasks, according to the state-owned manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), which announced the news on its official social media account as the program entered the final phase of obtaining the certificate from the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration that is necessary for commercial operations.
That would be a significant accomplishment for China's plans to advance in the manufacturing supply chain.
After being introduced in 2008, the C919 aircraft program has encountered a number of technical difficulties as well as stricter US export rules, according to Reuters.
The C919 aircraft previously missed a previously stated target of achieving certification by the end of 2021, with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) reporting that only 34 of the 276 planned certification tests were completed.
When asked about the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the C919 program, Wu Yongliang, deputy general manager of COMAC, said it was manageable and that relevant work was being completed in a timely manner.
According to people familiar with the program, COMAC has found it difficult to meet certification and production targets for the C919 due to tough US export rules, according to Reuters last September 2021.
The program was created to directly compete with the families of the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus 320neo.
The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, a narrow-body airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), a division of the American company Boeing. It succeeds the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG). The new series was announced on August 30, 2011. It took its maiden flight on January 29, 2016, and was certified by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in March 2017.
While the Airbus A320neo family is a development of the A320 family of narrow-body airliners produced by Airbus. The A320neo family (neo for "new engine option") is based on the previous A319, A320, and A321 (enhanced variant), which was then renamed A320ceo, for "current engine option".
China Eastern Airlines, a government-owned carrier, is the company's launch client. In March of last year, China Eastern Airlines placed an order for five C919 aircraft. The airline is slated to accept the first delivery in August, according to a report published on July 8 in the daily Changjiang Daily, which is owned by Wuhan's city government.
