What's next for China's C919 as orders pile up?

The recent delivery of two China-built narrow-body passenger jets, C919 has been widely celebrated as another milestone for China's civil aviation market.

On the night of August 28, two C919s in Air China and China Southern Airlines liveries were unveiled at the final assembly and manufacturing center of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Pudong, Shanghai. These deliveries mark the eighth and ninth deliveries of the C919 aircraft to Chinese airlines.

"This time, the deliveries to multiple users mean COMAC starts mass delivery to different customers," said civil aviation expert Lin Zhijie.

Lin told CGTN that the fact that the aircraft will be operated by different airlines under different conditions marks a "very important stage for the C919's commercial operation."

COMAC's C919 received certification from Chinese civil aviation authorities in 2022. Since then, seven aircraft have been delivered to its first global operator, China Eastern Airlines, while the maiden commercial operation began in May 2023.

China Eastern has five commercial routes using the C919, connecting Shanghai with Beijing, Chengdu, Xi'an and more cities. On September 1, the jetliner welcomed its 500,000th passenger on a flight from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. China Eastern's C919 fleet has logged over 10,000 flight hours of safe flight and completed more than 3,700 commercial flights.

Scale production challenges for COMAC

Globally, the C919 has received over 1,000 orders, with the three major airlines in China purchasing 100 each.

For China Eastern, the deal promised a delivery of five aircraft in 2024, 10 per year from 2025 to 2027, 15 per year from 2028 to 2030, and 20 in 2031. For the other 200 orders for Air China and China Southern Airlines, the deliveries are also expected from 2024 to 2031. However, what's worth noting is that Air China ordered the Extended Range (ER) version, which is the only one among the three airlines to choose this model.

With a full-load flight range of 2,000 nautical miles, an increase of 700 nautical miles over the basic model, and a maximum flight duration of 5 hours, an increase of 1.7 hours, the C919 ER variant demonstrates enhanced capabilities for long-distance flights and improved fuel efficiency.

This indicates Air China's intention to fly the C919 on longer routes in the future.

In addition to the three major airlines, Urumqi Air and Suparna Airlines (known in Chinese as Jinpeng) under the HNA Group each ordered 30 aircraft, and Tibet Airlines ordered 40 high-altitude C919 aircraft. Several aircraft leasing companies have also signed purchase agreements. COMAC's total order volume has exceeded 1,000 and is expected to have surpassed 1,200 aircraft as of now.

The dual delivery in August is seen as a sign of COMAC's confidence in gradually transforming from small-scale to mass production.

Qiao Shanxun, a member of the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, explained that the production of large aircraft can be divided into three stages, with the first small step to verify the feasibility of the design and production process. "Then is scale production, which means the manufacturer will gradually expand its production to meet the market needs," he said.

Qiao believes that the company is now in the process of transforming from small-scale production to mass production.

"The third stage is a mature, stable production stage. In this stage, the quality of the production is stable and production capacity will reach a peak," Qiao added.

According to the number announced at COMAC's suppliers conference in March this year, the C919 is scheduled to deliver 30 aircraft in 2024, 54 in 2025, 84 in 2026, 110 in 2027, and 126 in 2028.

According to a recent report by a financial media outlet, 'Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily,' the site for the second final assembly plant of the C919 has been "confirmed in the Lin-gang Special Area in Pudong, Shanghai, with a total construction area of approximately 330,000 square meters. Once the project is completed, it will meet the future mass production needs for C919. The site is expected to operate in full capacity by 2027, exceeding the target production of 150 aircraft per year,"

From China to global market

The domestic market for C919 has been paved to set the pace, but the journey towards international certification involves a rigorous process.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the Civil Aviation Administration of China have had multiple meetings this year, which involved talk of gaining EU flight certificates for the C919. The European authority even conducted an on-site inspection of the aircraft in Shanghai in July.

In addition, China and the EU have signed an agreement on civil aviation safety and an aviation agreement to strengthen cooperation. These are all seen as positive signs for C919's entering the European market.

"Indeed, acquiring the major international organization's airworthiness certificate would definitely help the aircraft enter the global market. But it's not a sine qua non (an essential condition), as the aircraft can also be operated in other countries if they have bilateral civil aviation agreements with China," Lin added.

Why has China pushed for the C919's manufacture?

China's commercial fleet is expected to grow by more than 4 percent annually, from the current 4,345 to 9,740 by 2043, according to Boeing's 2024 Commercial Market Outlook for China released in July. Its annual passenger traffic will grow by 5.9 percent annually, creating the world's biggest market in terms of traffic.

Producing passenger airplanes in China is believed to meet the needs of both domestic and global markets.

"We are the largest civil aviation market in the world. Thus, every year we would spend a large amount of foreign exchange on importing aircraft," Lin said.

However, it takes time for a passenger jet manufacturer to gain profitability. The deliveries and safe operation of C919 so far serve as another option for global airlines.

"This would help to boost the development of the global civil aviation industry," Lin added.

Last but not least, the manufacture of the C919 is also believed to help push forward the development of the entire high-end manufacturing sector in China.