China joins ‘big jet club’ with roll out of COMAC’s C919

Approximately 4,000 people, including many senior Communist party leaders, engineers and journalists, assembled at a hangar near Shanghai’s Pudong international airport to witness the unveiling of the awaited 158-seat C919. The plane, which is a direct challenge to Boeing’s 737 and the Airbus A320, was wheeled out from behind a red curtain which said “China joins big jet club!” Work on the C919 started in 2008 and though its first test flight was originally scheduled for last year, this should now take place in 2016. COMAC chairman Jin Zhuanglong indicated that the C919 would now be undergoing a number of tests in preparation for an inaugural flight in 2016, followed by certification and delivery to Chengdu Airlines by 2020.
“To catch up with Boeing and Airbus is the ideal scenario, but it will take time,” said Zhang Shuguang, who is a civil aviation expert at Beijing’s Beihang University, though he also described Monday’s “rollout” as very meaningful for the country. “Designing large aircraft is a huge project,” he added, continuing: “We need to be patient and have confidence. We also need to show perseverance. Progress will not come easily.”
COMAC has set a number of positive targets which include taking 1/3rd of the Chinese narrow-body market and 1/5th of the global market by 2035. COMAC is aiming to roll out between 20 and 50 C919s on an annual basis, then increasing production capability up to 150 C919s and 50 ARJ21 regional aircraft per annum by 2020. To date the manufacturer has received 517 orders from nine carriers and twelve aircraft leasing companies, most of whom are Chinese in origin and which also include Air China and Hainan Airlines. Additionally COMAC’s deputy director-marketing, Dang Weihong, pointed out that British Airways and Ryanair had commenced talks about possible orders.