The COMAC C919 Narrow body twinjet first flew on 5th May 2017. It took off from Shanghai’s Pudong International airport and landed back there again 79 minutes later. The second prototype took off seven months later on December 2017. Subsequently, the third prototype made its maiden flight on 28th December 2018, the fourth prototype on 1st August 2019, the fifth on 24th October and the latest sixth on 27th December 2019. According to industry experts, the C919 is on track to gaining airworthiness certification before entering the market in 2021.

“Large aircraft manufacturing is difficult, and we must have a craftsmanship spirit. It’s impossible to reach the sky in a single bound. The C919 will need to fly safely and reliably first, and then continuously improve and upgrade its performance. The second and third generations of the aircraft may challenge mainstream Western manufacturers,” said Lin Zhijie, an aviation industry analyst.

The C919 is the first large passenger jet designed and built in China. It is the most advanced Chinese civilian aircraft and the direct competitor of the Boeing 737 MAX, Airbus A320NEO and MS-21 jetliners. The 6th prototype was developed and flown as test airframes for the program by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). A state-run company founded in 2008 with the specific mission of producing the country’s first commercially viable passenger jet. Not all the parts are homemade. Several imported features are – German landing gear, Franco-American engines and an Austrian interior

The C919 working towards certification from Chinese regulators by the end of 2020, as well as Europe’s aviation safety regulator. As of 31st August 2018, The C919 has 1008 commitments, including 305 firm orders. It is no brainer that China would make its state-owned airlines purchase the C919, meaning it “might be harmful to current commercial aircraft producers, Airbus and Boeing”.

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