AIRCRAFT - First plateau version aircraft of C919 completes maiden flight

The first plateau version aircraft of C919 conducted its maiden flight test at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on July 29th, 2026. 

It flew for 1 hour and 59 minutes, and completed all the scheduled flight test subjects, marking an important step forward in the series development of C919 aircraft. 

On the basis of the baseline version aircraft, the plateau version aircraft of C919 has adopted targeted designs such as shortening the fuselage and improving the system functions to meet the requirements of operation at plateaus. 

Photographers: Wang Jiliang and Xu Bingnan)

 

COMAC

FLEET - Malaysia Airlines keeps C919 in view for 2035

Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur International) could consider the C919 during its next narrowbody fleet renewal cycle in the mid-2030s, but would prefer the type to secure certification from Western regulators before placing an order.

Malaysia Aviation Group airline business chief executive Bryan Foong told the South China Morning Post that the C919 was not ready in time for the airline's current fleet renewal programme. Malaysia Airlines has already committed its narrowbody requirements until approximately 2035.

"It is a credible fleet option, but it needs a bit more maturity," Foong said. "At that time, the C919 was not ready, it missed the window."

Foong said certification by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and preferably the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), would support acceptance of the aircraft in Malaysia and other countries served by the airline. Malaysia Airlines would also assess the type's performance and economics, while COMAC would need to develop sufficient MRO support across Southeast Asia.

The carrier maintains routine contact with COMAC but is not actively discussing an order, Foong said. The Chinese manufacturer has established a representative office in Singapore, while its smaller C909 regional jet is already operated in Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Malaysia Airlines has instead selected B737 MAX jets for its current narrowbody renewal. According to ch-aviation data, it has narrowbody commitments for twelve B737-10s and twenty-five more B737-8s.
The carrier operates a fleet of 94 aircraft, comprising three A330-200s, three A330-200Fs, thirteen A330-300s, ten A330-900Ns, seven A350-900s, eighteen B737-8s, and forty B737-800s.

CH Aviation

FLEET - China Southern Airlines welcomed its 11th homegrown C919 aircraft into the fleet.

Our C919 fleet has operated more than 11,000 flights across multiple commercial routes, serving over 1.55 million passengers.

China Southern

 

ROUTES - China Southern Airlines has put the domestically produced C919 aircraft into operation on the Guangzhou–Nanjing route

 

FLEET - China Eastern received its 15th C919 aircraft.

This is the 14th C919 aircraft for China Eastern Airlines, registration B-65A0 (MSN00041, provisional registration B-002M).

To date, COMAC has delivered a total of 31 C919 aircraft to China's Big Three airlines.

One more aircraft is expected to be delivered this year.

SPECIAL COLOURS / AIRCRAFT - China Southern Airlines C919 Landed in the UAE Ahead of Its Debut at the 2025 Dubai Airshow

The China Southern Airlines C919 landed successfully at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai. The aircraft is now preparing to participate in the 2025 Dubai Airshow, which will be held from November 17 to 21.

During the airshow, three aircraft manufactured by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC)—including the China Southern Airlines C919—will be showcased together in an overseas appearance.

China Southern

 

FLEET - Pakistan's Air Karachi mulls leasing C919s for launch

Air Karachi is considering leasing up to three C919s as it firms up plans to launch domestic flights.

The start-up's chairman, Hanif Gohar, told reporters on July 25 that using the COMAC aircraft type would mean lower operating costs, adding that the cost of acquiring the Chinese-built narrowbodies is nearly half that of comparable Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

Lower leasing costs would allow savings to be passed on to Air Karachi's customers, potentially allowing for a 40% reduction in airfares, he said, according to the business news site ProPakistani. The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) also reportedly confirmed there are no regulatory barriers to using Chinese aircraft. However, the C919 is not yet certified anywhere outside mainland China except for Hong Kong.

According to Gohar, the C919s would initially be flown by Chinese pilots while their Pakistani counterparts are trained. Efforts are in hand to import flight simulators and spare engines, he said. The carrier did not immediately respond to queries from ch-aviation on the number of aircraft it is hoping to lease or when it anticipates launching flights.

While Air Karachi has yet to obtain its air operator's certificate (AOC), the PCAA has issued it a regular passenger transport (RPT) licence, a precursor to acquiring an AOC, which permits the would-be airline to continue developing plans to launch.

The start-up is a joint venture involving local business leaders and corporate investors, apparently led by Atif Ikram Sheikh, president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Investors have pledged seed funding of PKR5 billion rupees (USD18 million), with further financing to be arranged. The airline intends to operate with three leased aircraft on domestic sectors before expanding to international routes.

CH Aviation

AIRCRAFT - ARJ21 gets commercial name C909 COMAC unifies names of aircraft products as "COMAC+"

Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) held a product conference during the 15th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China), announcing that ARJ21 aircraft got a commercial name C909, and unifying the names of its aircraft products as "COMAC + Model". At this point, the names of the three commercial aircraft products of COMAC are "COMAC C909", "COMAC C919" and "COMAC C929", respectively.

As a "good partner of the trunk liner", since C909 aircraft was put into commercial operation in 2016, a total of 150 aircraft have been delivered, safely carrying more than 17 million passengers. COMAC has continually promoted product improvement and optimization to unceasingly improve the performance, the crew operation experience and the cabin comfortability of C909 aircraft. Now, C909 aircraft is available in a variety of cabin layouts, including a two-class layout with 78 seats, an all economy-class layout with 90 seats, and a high-density economy-class layout with 95 or 97 seats; has excellent take-off and landing performance and crosswind resistance at airports with short and narrow runways in severe cold, high temperature and plateau conditions; and has strong adaptability to the operating environment in border areas of China and overseas regions such as Southeast Asia and Africa. C909 aircraft is suitable for relying on regional airports or sub-hub airports to build route networks and supplement transport capacity for hub airports. In addition, C909 aircraft can carry out commercial flight using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with a mixing ratio of up to 50% to meet the diversified demands of customers.

With the comprehensive transformation of the trunk liner program from development phase to industrialization phase, large-scale and serialized development is steadily advanced, and more and more China-made commercial aircraft are put into route operation. COMAC's unifying the names of aircraft products is conducive to shaping the image of serialized products and further enhancing product identification and brand influence. COMAC will continue to deliver commercial aircraft products which are safer, more economic, more comfortable and more environmental-friendly, and inject more COMAC wisdom and strength into the development of the global air transport industry.


COMAC

FLEET - 1st C919s for Air China and China Southern

During a ceremony at Shanghai-Pudong on 28 August 2024, COMAC delivered the first C919s to Air China and China Southern Airlines. For both airlines, it's the first of 100 they have on order. Both airlines will take delivery of two more C919s this year.
Air China took delivery of C919-100ER B-919X (00019), which was ferried to Beijing-Capital on 29 August 2024, while China Southern welcomed C919-100STD B-919J (00018), which flew to Ghuangzhou on 29 August 2024 as well.
With these deliveries, all three major Chinese airlines have the C919 in the fleet, with China Eastern currently being the largest operator with seven aircraft. It's expected that Suparna Airlines will be the first next operator.
According to COMAC, the manufacturer holds firm orders for more than 1,000 C919s and 700+ options.
Photo by COMAC.

 

FLEET - Air China orders 100 C919s with extended range.

Air China (CA, Beijing Capital) has placed a firm order with COMAC for 100 extended range C919s with deliveries scheduled to begin this year.

The carrier said in a stock market filing that the order was signed on April 26, 2024, and approved by the airline's board of directors the day after. Deliveries are scheduled to continue through 2031. Air China said the C919s will partially replace older aircraft, which are due to be retired, and partially be used for fleet growth. It intends to grow in "a controlled manner" and estimated that the deliveries of 100 C919s will eventually lead to a 7.5% net increase in ASK capacity compared to the level from 2023.

Air China said it would finance the transaction from a mix of its own cash, loans, and other sources. In late December 2023, the carrier announced a plan to issue additional shares to its controlling shareholder China National Aviation Corporation to the tune of up to CNY6 billion yuan (USD828 million). The issuance was completed by early February 2024.
Air China previously ordered five C919s, the ch-aviation fleets module shows, and is the second of the big three state-owned Chinese carriers to commit to a large number of C919s, after China Eastern Airlines, which has ordered 100 on top of the five it already has in service. China Southern Airlines currently has just five due.
The C919 will join existing Airbus and Boeing aircraft in Air China's narrowbody fleet which currently comprises thirty A319-100s, thirty-eight A320-200s, fifty-three A320-200Ns, sixty-one A321-200s, ten A321-200Ns, twenty A321-200NX, seventeen B737-700s, twenty-one B737-8s, and eighty-eight B737-800s.

CH Aviation

 

China's COMAC to introduce C919 and ARJ21 jets in 5 Southeast Asian countries

Chinese state-owned aircraft maker COMAC will hold flight demonstrations of its C919 and ARJ21 jets in five Southeast Asian countries, it said on Tuesday.

Over the next two weeks, the C919 and ARJ21 jets will carry out demonstration flights in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia, the Shanghai-based aircraft maker said in a statement.

FLEET / ORDER - Tibet Airlines announces order for ARJ21s and C919s

 Tibet Airlines announces order for ARJ21s and C919s

During the first day of the 2024 Singapore Air Show, COMAC announced it has signed an agreement with Tibet Airlines. The airline has signed-up for ten ARJ21s and 40 C919s.

The 50 aircraft will be new variants of the ARJ21 and C919, capable of operating out of the high-altitude airports in Tibet. As the C919-version hasn't been developed and certified, no delivery timeline has been specified. What is known, however, is that the C919 will seat less passengers compared to the standard versions (140-160 passengers compared to 158-192).

Tibet Airlines is currently an all-Airbus operator, flying with 27 A319s, six A319neos, six A320s, and five A330-200s.

Illustration by Tibet Airlines.

NEW AIRLINE - places order for China-made C919, ARJ21 jets

GallopAir, a new Brunei-based airline, plans to buy 30 aircraft from Chinese planemaker Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), which will include the first overseas purchases of the state-backed firm’s narrow-body C919 jet.

The letter of intent, worth a total of $2 billion, was signed at a regional trade event in China last week, the airline said.

The deal includes 15 orders of COMAC’s ARJ21 aircraft – including its freighter and business jet variants – and 15 of the C919, which completed its maiden commercial flight in May. The C919 was developed by COMAC to rival Airbus SE’s A320neo and Boeing Co’s 737 MAX single-aisle jet families.

→ Boeing forecasts that China will need 8,560 new commercial airplanes over next 20 years

The deal was disclosed by China-based Shaanxi Tianju Investment Group, an investor in GallopAir, in a message posted on WeChat on Monday.GallopAir said the aircraft from COMAC will need to undergo due diligence and certification processes by Brunei’s Department of Civil Aviation prior to delivery, Reuters reported.

“Flight operations are forecasted to begin in the third quarter of 2024,” GallopAir said.

Once completed, the deal would make GallopAir the second international operator of Chinese-made aircraft after Indonesian low-cost carrier TransNusa, which operates a small fleet of the ARJ21 aircraft, a predecessor to the C919.

Little is known about GallopAir, which is expected to be only the second Brunei-based airline operator after national carrier Royal Brunei Airlines. The company has said it intends to provide flight services in the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area.

Aviación al Día

NEW AIRCRAFT - China's C919 jetliner goes into commercial operation

This photo taken on May 28, 2023 shows a C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, before its first commercial flight in east China's Shanghai. C919 kicked off its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

SHANGHAI, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market.
The flight, operated by China Eastern Airlines, took off as MU9191 at 10:32 a.m. from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport with 128 passengers on board.

The plane was greeted with a water salute after touching down at Beijing Capital International Airport at 12:31 p.m. on Sunday.

The C919 is China's first self-developed trunk jetliner in accordance with international airworthiness standards and owns independent intellectual property rights.

The C919 project was launched in 2007. Developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC), the first C919 aircraft rolled off the production line in Shanghai in November 2015.

In 2017, the plane accomplished its maiden flight.

"The first commercial flight is a coming-of-age ceremony of the new aircraft, and C919 will get better and better if it stands the test of the market," said Zhang Xiaoguang, director of the marketing and sales department of COMAC

Passengers take photos with a C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, before its first commercial flight in east China's Shanghai, May 28, 2023, C919 kicked off its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

A passenger taking the first commercial flight of C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, checks in at Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai, May 28, 2023. 

C919 kicked off its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

This photo taken on May 28, 2023 shows a C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, getting ready for its first commercial flight in east China's Shanghai. 

C919 kicked off its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Passengers taking the first commercial flight of C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, check in at Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai, May 28, 2023. 

C919 kicked off its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Passengers board a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai, May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, lands at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Li He)

A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, takes off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai, May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua)

A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, lands at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Li He)

A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, is greeted with a water salute after touching down at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Photo by Wei Meng/Xinhua)

A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, is on its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday,
marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

A passenger displays a boarding pass aboard a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, from Shanghai to Beijing on May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, lands at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Photo by Wang Yang/Xinhua)

People take photos of a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, before it lands at Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing, capital of China, May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, takes off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai, May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua)

A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, is greeted with a water salute after touching down at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Photo by Wang Yang/Xinhua)

A flight attendant serves an airline meal for a passenger aboard a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, from Shanghai to Beijing on May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

 A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, is on its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on May 28, 2023.
The C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

COMAC

China’s aviation regulator gives green light for mass production of COMAC C919

 The Civil Aviation Administration of China has awarded the Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (COMAC) with a production certificate for domestically made

C919 narrow-body aircraft, according to Chinese media.

The state-owned aerospace manufacturer is now allowed to begin mass production of the C919 under an approved quality control system, The Paper reported on November 29, 2022.

Prior to receiving the recent approval, COMAC had to request authorization from the local regulator for each jet of the type it manufactured. However, since the restriction does not apply to COMAC anymore, the company reportedly plans to build up to 25 C919s each year by 2030.

The plane, which is considered a rival to narrow-body single-aisle planes such as the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo, received its type certificate from the CAAC on September 29, 2022. According to the manufacturer, the C919 is the first passenger aircraft to be fully developed by a Chinese entity “in accordance with internationally accepted airworthiness standards” and “with independent intellectual property rights”.

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