The C919, a new machine “made in China”, is supposed to compete with the most popular foreign devices. And potentially break the monopoly established by Boeing with its 737 MAX and Airbus with its A320. On Sunday, May 28, the first all-Chinese-designed airliner made its maiden commercial flight to great fanfare from Shanghai to Beijing. Medium-haul is a turning point for the Chinese air transport sector, which has long wanted to compete with Western manufacturers.
Flanked in the colors of China Eastern Airlines, the sleek white aircraft landed “smoothly” at Beijing Capital International Airport about 40 minutes early, around 12:30 p.m. local time, according to Beijing TV. CCTV status. “In the future, most passengers will be able to choose to travel on board large aircraft of national design”, rejoiced CCTV. The C919 will be mobilized from Monday for the regular trips made by the airline to connect Shanghai to Chengdu (south), the television channel reported.
Already 1,200 orders recorded
China, which seeks to become self-reliant in the technology sector, has invested heavily in the design and production of this airliner. The first model of the narrow-body C919, measuring 36 meters long and able to carry 164 passengers over nearly 5,500 kilometers, was officially delivered to the Chinese airline in December 2022. It is actually the second commercial aircraft developed by the country. Since 2008, China has also been producing ARJ21s, a model that is closer to the regional jet (90 seats).
The C919 is built by the state-owned Comac, but many parts of the machine come from other countries. Zhang Yujin, deputy general manager of Comac, told the media in January ThePaper (backed by the power) that the company had registered more than 1,200 orders for its device. The state manufacturer planned to increase its annual production capacity to 150 models within five years.
Ending Chinese dependency
It is also the first Chinese aircraft designed according to Western standards, in particular equipped with Leap engines, designed by CFM International, joint venture between French Safran and American GE. The C919 should thus enable China to reduce its dependence on the West in the aeronautical sector: currently, 98% of Chinese fleets are made up of Airbus and Boeing.
Asia, and China in particular, is a priority for the European Airbus and the American Boeing, which seek to take advantage of the growing demand for flights from the Asian middle class. In April, Airbus announced it would double its production capacity in China, and signed an agreement to build a second assembly line in Tianjin for the A320. The first assembly site opened in 2008 and produces four A320s per month. A rate that Airbus hopes to increase to six per month by the end of this year.