Comac has completed flight testing for the first C919 aircraft to be delivered to state-owned carriers Air China and China Southern.
The first Air China C919 – carrying test registration B-002M – completed tests on 10 August, according to a post on Chinese social media by state-owned aerospace giant AVIC. On 3 August, flight tests for China Southern’s first C919 (B-002L) took place.
The completion now paves the way for their imminent delivery, marking a new chapter for the programme. Air China is expected to take its first C919 at end-August, while no timeline has been disclosed for China Southern.
The deliveries will mark the first time the C919 is being delivered to a new customer apart from launch operator China Eastern.
According to AVIC, Air China will configure its C919s in a two-class layout with 158 seats: eight in business class and 150 in economy class. This compares to the 164-seat configuration adopted by China Eastern and China Southern.
Air China and China Southern placed orders for 100 C919s each in April, providing a needed boost for the programme. Other Chinese operators that have signed for the C919 are Tibet Airlines – which placed an order at the Singapore air show this year – as well as Hainan Airlines units Suparna Airlines and Urumqi Air.
The imminent deliveries come amid Chinese media reports suggesting the C919 is inching closer to European certification. According to these reports, citing unnamed officials, Comac hopes to get EASA certification by next year, following “positive feedback” from the European delegation.
While Comac has not commented on the reports, it had previously disclosed its intention for the C919 to be certificated by EASA.
Story amended to reflect the two Chinese carriers to receive the C919.
