COMAC C919

[sunnymaxi]

Hard to believe that it'll be a true competitor unless it had some kind of redesign with maybe a new composite wing, if they simply just stretched the current C919 you'll be lucky if it even competes with the original A321.

its obvious there will be change in design especially in fuselage , material and manufacturing process.

base variant C919 first fuselage rolled out from assembly line in 2014 and now stretch variant coming after 13-14 years. this is such a long timeline in perspective with China's advancement in material and manufacturing.

all shortcomings will resolve in this variant.

 

[tphuang]

Hard to believe that it'll be a true competitor unless it had some kind of redesign with maybe a new composite wing, if they simply just stretched the current C919 you'll be lucky if it even competes with the original A321.

hmm???? That's a lot of strong words without any fact backed up. C919 already achieves the same CASK as A321CEO iirc. And done so with much fewer seats.

 

[tphuang]

its obvious there will be change in design especially in fuselage , material and manufacturing process.

base variant C919 first fuselage rolled out from assembly line in 2014 and now stretch variant coming after 13-14 years. this is such a long timeline in perspective with China's advancement in material and manufacturing.

all shortcomings will resolve in this variant.

Again, that's a lot of assumptions. We have no idea what "shortcomings" this will resolve. In fact, you want to keep as much commonalities in your series as possible.

Keep in mind that Airbus continuously improve A320, A321 & A330s over the years with small PiPs. Each one improves efficiency by maybe 1-4%. Over time, the aircraft gets more desirable. A321 was not originally able to do transcontinental flights in America. But then, it got that range and now it's the best aircraft for those kind of routes. Similarly, C919 variants can either do large mods or small incremental upgrades over time.

 

[lcloo]

CASK = Cost per Available Seat Kilometre.
PiP or PIP= Performance Improvement Plan.

New abbreviation for me until today.

 

[gadgetcool5]

Apparently there were two deliveries each in November and December. Air China now operates nine planes, China Eastern operates eleven, and China Southern operates eight. So that is a total of twenty-eight planes in commercial service at the end of 2025. There are an additional six planes operated by COMAC itself. That apparently brings the total of deliveries in 2025 to 15 or 16, which is a far cry from the goal of 50, but slightly higher than 2024.

 

[Tomboy]

CXF ground testing equipment tender from early 2025

 

[Fautix1]

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What the SCMP text says

European aviation evaluators have begun test flights of China’s home-grown C919 airliner in Shanghai, the Post has learned, as the manufacturer of the narrowbody jet presses ahead with its bid to secure Western safety certification – a crucial step in the journey to global adoption and being able to compete with industry leaders Boeing and Airbus.

Two test pilots from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have conducted verification flights, according to a source with knowledge of the arrangements. Meanwhile, senior foreign pilots working in China have been deployed to help demonstrate the C919’s reliability.

The moves, following a delay in the high-stakes certification process last year, were part of ongoing exchanges between Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) – the C919’s manufacturer – and the European regulator, the source said.

EASA pilots conducted in-flight tests in November on a C919 that took off from Shanghai’s Pudong Airport, near the aircraft’s production base, the source added.

“[EASA] agreed the aircraft is good and safe … other than some teething problems that required tweaks,” the source said.

Another source confirmed the test flights and said there had been an increase in exchanges between Comac and EASA recently.

Also related to this news from 9 months ago

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It is an interview with the director of the aesa L'Usine Nouvelle in which they ask him about the certification of the Comac C919 and he mentions this:

"We still have to carry out validation tests of the design of the device and certain components, which is classic," says Florian Guillermet. Test flights shall also be carried out.' This schedule is not exceptional, as the average certification period for a commercial aircraft is between 5 and 8 years."

"Our work with Comac started about 4 years ago, with two really fully productive years," recalls the EASA director. Comac puts a lot of resources, willpower and technical means into this certification. I have no doubt that the company will succeed."

 

[THX 1138]

Wouldn't the C919 have to undergo the certification process again after the engines (and all other foreign components) are replaced with domestic versions?

 

[Fautix1]

I was wrong in this part, I put the name of the media that did the interview as the name of the director of the AESA

It is an interview with the director of the aesa L'Usine Nouvelle in which they ask him about the certification of the Comac C919 and he mentions this:

 

[Tomboy]

C919-600 rolled out