China's aviation regulators have confirmed that the country's first narrow-body jet, the COMAC C919 which is scheduled for delivery to launch customer China Eastern Airlines by the year's end is now entering final assembly. The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) hopes to obtain type certification for the jet by the end of 2021.
According to Reuters news agency, The C919 program's certification board met in Shanghai on September 10 and reviewed COMAC reports on batch production of the jet. The board also approved proposals to adjust the current plans for obtaining the aircraft's production certificate, which is required for mass production, the regulator said, without giving further details. The jet is currently in the more limited batch production phase.
The C919 narrow-body 158-168-seat single-aisle jet will be in direct competition with Boeing's B737 series of aircraft, and Airbus' A320 series.
