China’s C919 passenger jet completes all test flights

China’s domestically developed single-aisle C919 passenger jet has undergone all the test flights for obtaining an airworthiness certificate in the country, its manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China said on Monday.

The first C919 narrow-body passenger jet is expected to be delivered to China Eastern Airlines, its debut customer, before the end of this year. COMAC started manufacturing the aircraft in late 2019 and the work has already achieved progress.

Six C919 prototypes underwent a series of rigorous tests. In late July, COMAC held a meeting in Yanliang, Shaanxi province, one of the bases for conducting test flights. The manufacturer said the completion of all the tasks of test flights indicates that the preparation work before getting the certificate has officially entered the final stage.

The C919 jet, primarily constructed with aluminium alloys, is to be powered by either CFM International LEAP or ACAE CJ-1000A turbofan engines, and be able to carry 156 to 168 passengers in a normal operating configuration up to 5,555 km (3,000 nmi), compared to a range of 6,600 km (3,600 nmi) for the Airbus A220, A320 or the Boeing 737-7 Max with a similar passenger load.

So far, 815 intended and confirmed orders have been placed for the C919 from home and abroad. chinadaily.com.cn