COMAC, the creator of China’s first passenger jet, has long stated that the C919 airliner could be used in high-altitude conditions. Now, the first such flight has taken place. According to Xinhua News Agency, on September 20, the C919 airliner landed at Lhasa Gonggar International Airport.
The COMAC 919 departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Sichuan Province and, after a two-hour flight, landed at Lhasa Gonggar International Airport in Tibet. There, it “met” the ARJ21 aircraft, which was conducting a demonstration flight on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
It’s important to note that high-altitude airports are those located at elevations above 2,438 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level. Lhasa Airport is not the highest-altitude airport— the world’s highest is in Tibet, situated at 4,250 meters above sea level. It was previously reported that COMAC would develop a shortened version of the C919 specifically for flights in high-altitude conditions.
COMAC C919 has not only become a domestic bestseller but is also making a solid worldwide debut. According to recent reports, the Saudi corporation Saudia is in talks to create a plant in their home country to manufacture Chinese aircraft. “So, what is this masterpiece of Chinese ingenuity?”
On November 2, 2015, the first C919 aircraft was displayed during an expo in Shanghai. Approximately 4,000 Chinese officials and visitors attended the presentation. COMAC immediately received pre-orders for 517 such aircraft from 21 purchasers, even before the full testing cycle was completed.
On April 16, 2017, the aircraft underwent ground testing in Shanghai, also known as high-speed taxiing. The tests lasted three hours, and the plane achieved 248 km/h, which is close to takeoff speed.
The first flight occurred on May 5, 2017. During the 79-minute flight, the aircraft, equipped with CFM International LEAP-1C engines, reached an altitude of 3,000 meters and a maximum speed of 315 km/h.
The second test flight followed over five months later, on September 28, and the third on November 3, 2017. On November 10, 2017, the fourth flight on the Shanghai-Xi’an route completed 1,300 kilometers in 2 hours and 24 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of 7,800 meters.
The second C919 flew for the first time on December 17, 2017, then the third on December 28, 2018, the fourth on August 1, 2019, and the fifth on October 24, 2019. The sixth prototype flew on December 27, 2019.
The aircraft obtained airworthiness certification in 2022, with customer deliveries starting in 2023. COMAC currently has orders for roughly 800 C919 aircraft.
China Eastern Airlines was the first operator of these new airliners, with the first flight on the Shanghai-Beijing route on May 28, 2023.
Technical Features
Range and Capacity
The most significant technical aspects of any passenger aircraft are seating capacity and range. In this aspect, the Chinese airliner does not provide anything unique. It’s a standard narrow-body plane capable of carrying up to 200 passengers.
Depending on the modification, the aircraft may travel nonstop for lengths ranging from 4,075 km (C919-Mixed) to 5,555 km (C919-All ECO).
Powerplant
The engine situation is more complicated. As previously stated, the plane is powered by a CFM International LEAP 1C turbofan engine rated at 137.14 kN for takeoff and 133.22 kN for cruising.
This engine is not made in China; rather, it is produced by the Franco-American company CFM International. If China has any complications with Taiwan, these engine deliveries are likely to be halted, potentially grounding all of the ordered planes.
However, the Chinese are working on it. In 2018, there was word of the development of a CJ-1000AX engine for the C919. According to reports, the engine, manufactured by AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine (ACAE, an AVIC subsidiary), is 1.95 meters in diameter and 3.29 meters long. Certification and the start of delivery were originally scheduled for 2020.
However, no additional information was released in 2020 or later, implying that something went wrong, delaying the certification and mass manufacture of a locally produced engine.
Price and Competitors
Many believe that because the airplane is Chinese, it will be substantially cheaper than its Western competitors. However, this is not the case. The C919’s claimed price is 653 million yuan, which is about similar to 100 million US dollars. In comparison, its primary competitors, the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, cost between $72 million and $120 million for the A320 and $78 million to $108 million for the 737, depending on the configuration.
Official Website of Youtube Channel – Altitude Addicts