China’s first C919 narrowbody jet for China Eastern Airlines to enter final assembly
China’s first Comac C919 narrowbody jet to be delivered to launch customer China Eastern Airlines is about to enter final assembly, China’s aviation regulator said on Monday, with delivery due before the end of the year.
The C919, being built by state-owned planemaker Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), will mark a milestone in a decade-long programme to rival aircraft made by Airbus (A320 series) and Boeing (737 MAX series). In 2012 Airbus’ chief strategist Marwan Lahoud assumed that the aircraft would offer competition to Airbus by 2020.
The C919 programme’s certification board met in Shanghai on Sept. 10 and reviewed COMAC reports on batch production of the jet, the Eastern Region Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on its social media account.
COMAC hopes to obtain a type certificate, which certifies the model as airworthy, by the end of the year.
The board also approved proposals to adjust the current plans for obtaining the aircraft’s production certificate, which is required for mass production, the regulator said, without giving further details. The C919 is currently in the more limited batch production phase.
The Comac C919 is a narrow-body airliner developed by Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac. The development program was launched in 2008. Production of the prototype began in December 2011, with the first prototype being ready on 2 November 2015 and having its maiden flight on 5 May 2017. First commercial deliveries of the aircraft are expected in 2021 to China Eastern Airlines.
The dimensions of the C919 are quite similar to those of the Airbus A320. The aircraft, 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 (3000 nmi). As of 31 August 2018, Comac has 1008 commitments including 305 firm orders, mostly from Chinese leasing companies or airlines.