China Signs Purchase Agreement for Domestically Developed Passenger Aircraft C919

China Eastern Airlines signs first official purchase contract with COMAC for 5 aircraft... Prioritizing domestic routes
State media calls it a milestone and advancement in China's aviation industry

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] The 'C919' passenger aircraft, a symbol of China's aviation ambition, is expected to enter commercial service as early as this year.

According to Chinese state media including Xinhua News Agency on the 2nd, China's state-owned aircraft manufacturer COMAC and China Eastern Airlines signed an official purchase agreement for five C919 passenger aircraft the day before. Although the delivery schedule has not been disclosed, the first commercial flight is expected to take place as early as the second half of this year.

China's domestically developed C919 medium-sized passenger aircraft (Photo by Global Times)

Xinhua News Agency described the first official purchase agreement signing ceremony for the C919 as an important milestone for China's aviation industry and a sign of progress in China's aircraft industry.

The aircraft, which began development in 2015, successfully completed its first test flight in 2017 and finished a low-temperature test flight in January.

While the Chinese aviation industry classifies this aircraft as a large aircraft, its actual maximum seating capacity is known to be 190 seats.

Chinese media explained that the 'C' in C919 stands for China, the number '9' symbolizes eternity, and the number '19' implies the maximum passenger capacity. The actual seating capacity of the aircraft is between 158 and 168 seats, and its maximum range is known to be 5,555 km. Based on its specifications, the C919 is similar in size to the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 series.

As of last month, Chinese media reported that the aircraft has received a total of 815 orders from 28 customers (airlines), with China Eastern Airlines being the first customer to sign an official purchase agreement.

The Global Times explained that once officially delivered, the aircraft will be primarily deployed on domestic routes based in Shanghai, including Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

China Eastern Airlines owns 750 aircraft as of the end of last year and is ranked among the top 10 airlines worldwide with an annual passenger transport volume of 130 million, the media added.

COMAC previously delivered the ARJ21, a small passenger aircraft with 80 to 90 seats developed in-house, to three airlines including Air China and China Eastern Airlines.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China has announced plans to challenge the global passenger aircraft market dominated by Boeing and Airbus and accelerate the development of China's aircraft industry.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.