Chinese aircraft maker Comac is about to receive approval from Chinese aviation authorities for its C919 passenger jet. That device could enter commercial service some 14 years after its development. Chinese media reported this on Tuesday.
According to the reports, the so-called certificate of airworthiness for the C919 could be delivered on September 19. Earlier, the Flightradar24 website, which tracks aircraft worldwide, showed that two C919s landed on Tuesday for the first time at Beijing’s main airport.
They were accompanied by a third aircraft, an ARJ-21, a regional aircraft also developed by Comac (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) and already in commercial service.
With an airworthiness certificate in its pocket, the C919 could also start commercial flights. It is expected that the Chinese airline China Eastern Airlines will be the first user.
The C919 is the first large passenger aircraft developed by China itself. It is a single-aisle aircraft, in the same category as the A320 series of the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus and the 737 series of the American Boeing series. Airbus and Boeing have virtually a duopoly on the market for aircraft from 100 seats.
Comac started developing the C919 in 2008, and the first test flight took place in 2017. But the aircraft manufacturer missed an earlier deadline to deliver the first C919 at the end of 2021.