Comac C919 launch customer China Eastern Airlines has begun its second round of cabin crew training this week ahead of the narrowbody’s anticipated entry into service this spring.
Meanwhile, a 100-hour flight validation campaign on nine domestic routes from its base at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport will see the C919 fly to Beijing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Haikou, Qingdao, Wuhan, Nanchang, and Jinan. Expected to conclude in mid-February, the trials simulate normal flight and maintenance operations.
China Eastern’s C919s will seat 164 passengers in a two-cabin configuration with eight in business class and 156 in economy. The state-owned airline already has trained its first batch of personnel, including nine pilots, 24 cabin crew, and 13 maintenance staff. It plans to deploy the jet on short-haul routes, mainly from Shanghai to Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, and Xi’an.
The world’s first C919 jetliner, carrying registration B-919A, went to China Eastern in early December 2022 and is the first of five narrowbodies on firm order for the SkyTeam alliance member. China Eastern expects delivery of the remaining four C919 aircraft over the next two years.
A purchase contract inked between China Eastern and Comac in March of 2021 accounts for the first batch of five airplanes. In a financial filing last May, the airline announced plans to raise over $2.21 billion to acquire C919s at a list price of $99 million each and 24 ARJ21-700 regional jets priced at $38 million. In the same filing, the state-owned airline said it would also add 10 widebodies, specifically six Airbus A350-900s and four Boeing 787-9s.
Launched nearly 15 years ago, China's first modern narrowbody airliner gained its type certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in September, followed by a production certificate in late November. During November's Airshow China 2022 in Zhuhai, Comac announced it had drawn an order for 300 C919 jets plus 30 ARJ21s from seven state-owned leasing firms. Earlier, the Chinese airframer said it had collected advance orders for 815 C919s from 28 customers. China Eastern remains the only company to announce its delivery targets for the C919.
In the absence of EASA and FAA approval, the C919’s market remains limited to jurisdictions within the CAAC’s purview. Last month saw Comac deliver its first ARJ21-700 outside of China to Indonesian customer TransNusa Airlines. The newly-delivered regional jet is the first of 30 scheduled for delivery through 2026 and stems from a contract inked with China Aircraft Leasing in 2021. Based at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the regional low-cost carrier operates a fleet of three Airbus A320s and only recently resumed service in October 2022 after suspending operations due to Covid restrictions in September 2020.
Comac ended the year with the delivery of its 100th ARJ21-700 to customer Air China, which already took delivery of 14 of the type. The rising aerospace giant also has been busy with design work on its ARJ21 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) program, announcing Monday that it has obtained airworthiness certification. According to a company statement, the ARJ21F successfully underwent a compliance verification test flight program and subsequent airworthiness compliance report on January 6. Additional conversion plans call for the launch of an ARJ21B business jet capable of carrying 20 passengers.
The ARJ21F carries a payload of 10 tonnes and offers compatibility with standard air freight container sizes and dimensions. The conversion includes a fully electric actuation system for the main cargo door, a cargo compartment fire suppression system, and cargo compartment air conditioning. Initial P2F customers include Zhongyuan Airlines and YTO Cargo Airlines.
Launched in May 2020, the addition of the ARJ21 conversion to Comac’s portfolio marks a significant milestone for the company—and great timing. According to the CAAC, China’s air cargo industry has nearly recovered to 2019 levels as the country relaxes its Zero-Covid policy and welcomes international arrivals.
Comac, which celebrates its 15th anniversary in May, has forecast a demand in China for 9,284 new aircraft over the next 20 years to meet market demand, including 953 regional jets, 6,370 single-aisle airplanes, and 1,836 twin-aisle airplanes. It expects by 2041 the number of aircraft in the domestic fleet to surpass 10,000, representing more than 20 percent of the global total.