By Tu Lei
China’s domestically produced C919 aircraft, a rival designed to compete with the best-selling narrow-body models of dominant plane manufacturers Airbus and Boeing, marked its second anniversary of operation on Wednesday.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, 18 C919 aircraft have been delivered to China Eastern Airlines, Air China and China Southern Airlines, serving 24 routes across 16 cities and carrying more than 2 million passengers to date.
A Chinese expert said a good answer has been given in terms of the safety and reliability of the aircraft brought by the smooth operation, and increasing production capacity is needed for further development.
As of May 27, China Eastern Airlines’ C919 fleet had logged more than 28,000 safe flight hours, conducted more than 11,400 commercial flights, and transported more than 1.57 million passenger trips, the carrier told the Global Times on Wednesday.
The C919 has demonstrated a strong safety performance and shows steady improvement in metrics like daily utilization, proving its comprehensive operational reliability, the carrier said.
The C919 is a large civilian aircraft developed in accordance with international civilian aviation regulations and with independent intellectual property rights, and it is regarded as a model to enhance China’s competitiveness in the global aviation market.
On December 9, 2022, China Eastern Airlines received the world’s first C919. On May 28, 2023, the airline operated flight MU9191 from Shanghai to Beijing, completing the model’s first commercial passenger flight.
The latest news came on Sunday, as China Eastern Airlines announced a direct flight between Shanghai and Xiamen, East China’s Fujian Province.
“Through training and flying, we’ve deepened our understanding of this aircraft. The C919 features innovative designs in systems, flight controls and human-machine interaction,” according to Shang Feng, head of China Eastern Airlines’ C919 flight department and captain of its inaugural commercial flight.
The aircraft has delivered a good answer in terms of safety and reliability since it was put into commercial operation two years ago, Lin Zhijie, an independent market watcher, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Domestically made large aircraft have provided a new option for airlines around the world, especially in the current situation, where the global aviation supply chain continues to be tight, Lin noted, adding that it is necessary to further improve the operational capabilities of the C919, especially the daily utilization rate.
On September 10 last year, Air China operated the maiden commercial flight of its first C919 aircraft, becoming the second airline in China to use the plane after China Eastern Airlines, a further move to accelerate the commercial operation of the C919.
On September 19 last year, a C919 operated by China Southern Airlines took off from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, marking the Guangzhou-based airline’s maiden C919 commercial flight.
Lin said that it is urgent to increase the production capacity of the plane, given that its maker – Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) – delivered 18 aircraft in the past two years.
“There is still a lot of room for production capacity, compared with the same models,” Lin added.
Regarding production capacity, Zhang Yujin, a vice-general manager of COMAC, said at the beginning of this year that production of the aircraft will surely speed up to seize market share, according to news portal stcn.com on May 15.
Zhang also said that the annual production capacity of the C919 is planned to reach 150 aircraft in the next five years.
To further expand the plane’s overseas footprint, COMAC has opened an office in Singapore, and COMAC vows to participate more deeply in the cooperation and development of the global aviation industry and promote innovation and progress in the industry, according to the official website of COMAC on October 28, 2024.
Reuters reported in April that Europe’s aviation regulator needs between three and six years to certify COMAC’s C919 single-aisle commercial jet.
