China certifies C919 jet to compete with Airbus and Boeing.
China held a ceremony on Thursday (29 September) to certify its C919
narrowbody passenger jet, photos on social media showed, representing a
major milestone in the country’s ambitions to challenge Airbus and
Boeing in commercial aerospace.
The plane, produced by state-owned manufacturer Commercial Aircraft
Corp of China (COMAC), had been widely expected to be certified by the
end of the month after two aircraft flew to Beijing on 13 September. A
sign in one of the photos said “C919 aircraft type certificate issuance
ceremony” in Chinese.
COMAC did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
The C919, launched 14 years ago and designed to carry up to 168
passengers, will compete against the popular Airbus A320neo and Boeing
737 MAX families in the world’s second-biggest aviation market as China
looks to boost its technological self-reliance amid trade tensions.
Although the plane is assembled in China, it relies heavily on
Western components, including engines and avionics, from companies
including GE, Safran and Honeywell International. (...)
