Comac and Tibet Airlines have signed a cooperation agreement that will see them jointly work on developing a high-altitude variant of the C919 narrowbody.
The two parties signed the agreement on 17 December, less than a month after the airframer teased shortened and stretched variants of the C919 at the Shanghai International Airshow.
According to Tibet Airlines’ social media accounts, the agreement covers “all-round strategic cooperation” on the development of a shortened, high-altitude C919 variant. The Lhasa-based carrier did not disclose further details.
Comac general manager Zhou Xinmin, speaking at the signing ceremony, hailed the carrier’s “rich experience” in high-altitude operations.
“Comac and Tibet Airlines will jointly promote comprehensive strategic cooperation, jointly promote the development and optimised operation of domestic large aircraft for [high-altitude operations],” says Zhou.
The airframer has carried out high-altitude testing for the C919 and ARJ21 regional jet, operating a series of sorties in China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.
According to Cirium fleets data, Tibet Airlines has 42 Airbus aircraft, comprising 27 A319ceos, six A320ceos and five A330-200s. The airline is also one of the few operators of Airbus’s A319neo, with four in-service examples.
Separately, Comac delivered the third C919 to launch customer China Eastern Airlines. The aircraft (B-919D) is the third of five aircraft the airline has on order.
China Eastern received its first C919 in December 2022, and put the type into commercial service in May. In September, the Shanghai-based carrier signed for 100 more C919s, with deliveries to run beyond 2030.
China has pinned high hopes on the C919 programme, touting it as a homegrown alternative to the Boeing 737 family and Airbus A320 family. On 16 December, the type made its maiden flight outside of Mainland China, with a 1h sortie over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour.
The demonstration flight was part of a week-long showcase of Comac’s C919 and ARJ21 programmes in the city.
