Aviation

The Success Story of COMAC C919’s First Year with China Eastern: China’s Aerospace Growth

On December 9, 2023, China celebrated the first anniversary of delivering the COMAC C919 to China Eastern Airlines. The initial production airframe was handed over to China Eastern Airlines on December 9, 2022, and officially entered commercial passenger service on May 28, 2023.

The COMAC c_919, a highly anticipated aircraft from China, marks the country’s inaugural venture into the production of commercial airplanes. As the world’s second-most populous nation, China faces substantial demand for both domestic and international air travel, and the aviation industry is poised for growth, with Airbus and Boeing currently dominating the commercial plane market in China.

In February 2023, China Eastern Airlines’ C919 flight-test verification program experienced a delay due to a malfunction in the jet’s CFM International LEAP-1C engine’s thrust reverser. After a three-month hiatus that grounded the entire fleet of C919s, test flights resumed on May 7, 2023, as the airline continued to plan for passenger revenue service to commence in spring 2023.

In September 2023, COMAC Chairman He Dongfeng announced plans to produce shortened and extended variants of the C919, accommodating a range from 130 to 240 seats. The maximum capacity would accommodate nearly 50 more passengers than the current variant, capable of seating 156-192 people.

The intended payload capacity for the aircraft is 20.4 tonnes, designed to cruise at Mach 0.785 (450 kn; 834 km/h) with an operating ceiling of 12,200 meters (39,800 feet). The two variants include a standard version with a 4,075 km (2,200 nautical miles; 2,532 miles) range and an extended-range version with a range of 5,555 km (2,999 nautical miles; 3,452 miles). Analysts view the C919 as a conservative design, resembling the 30-year-old A320 and considered less efficient than the A320neo and 737 MAX.

Contrary to earlier plans in Russia to develop the wider-bodied C929 aircraft based on the C919 design with a new engine, China has opted for independent engineering to develop this aircraft. The C919 is currently equipped with the LEAP-1C Engine, similar to those used on the Airbus A320 neo and Boeing 737 MAX families of aircraft. The LEAP-1C engine is produced by CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aviation (USA) and Safran Aircraft Engine (France). As of now, there are no plans to change the engine for the C919.

As of September 2023, reported C919 orders have reached 1,061, with sources indicating a heavily modified jet listed for 653 million yuan (US$101 million). This price is nearly on par with competitors Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX, and significantly higher than the initially anticipated US$50 million price.

Aviation

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.