Aviation

Made in China first giant passenger jet makes successful takeoff in maiden flight

By soucre CNBC The maiden test flight of the C919 airliner made a successful takeoff from Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Friday, according to a livestream via Twitter carried on China‘s official news agency Xinhua.

The plane’s flight path and flying time are not yet known, but a large crowd has gathered at the airport waiting for the landing. The C919 has more than 150 seats and a range of 4,075 kilometers (2,532 miles), and is meant to compete with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, among the most popular commercial planes flying in the skies. Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China, the state-owned company behind the plane, said 21 customers had placed orders for more than 500 planes by the end of 2016, and it expected sales to exceed 2,000, state media said

China is making a big push to become a global aviation player, looking to compete with the likes of Airbus and Boeing. Establishing itself in this industry has been hailed a “strategic move” by President Xi Jinping, according to written remarks published by state media outlets. Beijing has also identified domestic development and production of engines and planes as a major goal.

Friday’s maiden flight will be a key milestone for the C919, which has been plagued by delays. Final ground tests only concluded a few weeks ago, much later than the original schedule of a first flight in 2014, and aircraft delivery in 2016.

C919 Program
“C919″is the short form of trunk liner code for “COMAC919”. COMAC is the acronym of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. The letter “C” is the first letter of both “COMAC” and “China”. It indicates that this trunk liner program is the will of China and her people. It is a short-medium range commercial trunk liner that can claim indigenous intellectual property. Its all-economy class layout entails 168 seats, and the hybrid class layout 156 seats. The basic version is designed to cover a range of 4,075 km, while the enhanced version can stretch to 5,555 km. Such designs may satisfy the operating demands for different routes. Its economic life is designed to be 90,000 flying hours/30 calendar years.

Main features of C919

Safety:

The design, development, and airworthiness examination of the airplane are completely based on international civil aviation rules and regulations and airworthiness standards.
Economics:

Fuel consumption and direct operating cost per seat per kilometer are lower than those of similar existing airplanes.
Comfort:

Broader cabins and wider seats plus advanced system technology to improve comfort.
Environmentally friendly:

New engine to meet noise and pollutant discharge requirements.
Product family:

Covering basic version, extended version, shortened version, cargo version, special version and corporate version

Aviation

Airbus Enhances A350 Cabin with 10-Abreast Seating

Airbus has announced a new partnership with Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, a Chinese aircraft seating manufacturer, to supply upgraded economy-class seats for the A350 widebody series.

This collaboration, unveiled at the 2024 Airshow China, focuses on developing a newly designed economy seat tailored for the A350‘s New Production Standard (NPS) cabin.

One of the key features of the NPS cabin is the ability to accommodate 17-inch wide economy seats, compared to the previous 16.5-inch wide seats that airlines were limited to in the A350’s earlier configurations.

British Airways Unveils Its Brand-New First Class Cabin for the Airbus A380

This change is made possible by the expanded space in the NPS cabin, which is 35 inches longer and 4 inches wider than the previous version. This extra space is achieved by slightly moving the cockpit wall forward and shifting the rear pressure bulkhead back by one frame.

The wider cabin allows airlines to add up to 30 extra economy seats without compromising comfort. For airlines opting for a 3-4-3 seating layout, the 17-inch wide seats are an excellent choice for a more comfortable passenger experience. However, some airlines, such as Iberia, may choose to retain a 9-abreast layout with wider seats for added comfort.

The NPS cabin also offers enhanced flexibility for airline operators. One major advantage is the ability to easily switch between a 9-abreast and 10-abreast seating configuration without requiring significant downtime for aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines can use the same seat rails, tracks, and IFE interfaces, making the transition smoother and quicker.

Etihad Airways Unveils 10 Exciting New Routes for 2025

In addition, the design of the floor attachments and air-conditioning systems has been optimized for 10-abreast seating, meaning airlines can upgrade their cabins without needing to make substantial modifications to the aircraft’s structure.

Though it’s still unclear when Jiatai’s economy-class seats will be officially added to the A350’s Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) catalogue, the collaboration marks a significant step toward enhancing the A350’s cabin offerings.

With this partnership, Airbus is providing more seating options for airlines, ensuring that they can meet diverse customer needs while improving overall operational efficiency.