China's home-grown C919 jet nears certification as test planes complete tasks

CHINA'S homegrown C919 narrow-body jet, designed to challenge the Airbus-Boeing duopoly, is nearing certification as its test planes completed all of the test flight tasks, the company said on Saturday (Jul 23).

The state-owned manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) said on its official social media account that the 6 test planes have finished the testing tasks as the programme enters the final stage of receiving a certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China which is required for commercial operations.

That would mark a milestone in China's ambitions to climb up the manufacturing supply chain.

Designed to compete directly with the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus 320neo families, the C919 aircraft programme has faced a range of technical issues and tougher US export controls, after being launched in 2008, Reuters has reported.

The launch customer is the state-owned China Eastern Airlines, which has placed an order for 5 C919 jets in March last year. Changjiang Daily, a newspaper owned by the local government of Wuhan, said in a report on Jul 8 the airline is scheduled to take the first delivery in August.

Assembled in China, the plane relies heavily on Western components, including engines and avionics. REUTERS