Arrival of COMAC’s C919 beset by further delays

China’s efforts to challenge the duopoly of Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’ A320 narrow-body aircraft with the country’s first production of a narrow-body commercial jet has been further delayed, though for reasons as yet unknown. The original launch date for the C9198 was 2016, but continual delays have seen that date change to 2018. While the maiden flight of the C919 was rescheduled for the end of this year, it has now been postponed until July 2016, while it is hoped the first aircraft will roll off the production line at the end of this year instead, allowing two years for it to obtain all the necessary certificates for airworthiness.
COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China) is keen to take on the current competition in narrow-body commercial jets, of which currently China is the world’s greatest purchaser, Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’ A320 being the most popular. Despite these further delays, the order book for the C919 is looking healthy from the outside at 507 aircraft, with the Paris Airshow seeing 50 new orders added. However closer inspection of these orders will reveal that virtually all are domestic in origin as opposed to international ones, with only GECAS’ order for 20 C919s making up firm international interest.
China’s reputation for aircraft production is not one that would immediately challenge that of the likes of Boeing and Airbus – the XIAN MA60 and Harbin Y-12 were not seen in the brightest of lights by many reporters, with some even calling them “a death trap in inclement weather.” You then have to question how ordering planes from China will be seen from a Western culture perspective, while on top of the cultural issues with the exporting of Chinese airliners, much will boil down to finance and costs. As yet there are no financial figures available for the C919, but if it turns out to be much cheaper than a 737MAX or A320NEO, what will the lifetime costs actually be in terms of fuel burn and maintenance?