Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) of China has secured an order for 330 homegrown C919 aircraft after obtaining its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Sept. 29.
The C919 has now been certified and has met all of the applicable Airworthiness Standards for Transport Aircraft under Part 25 of the China Civil Aviation Regulations, making it finally ready for service.
COMAC Secures Order for 300 C919s
Following multiple reports, this landmark purchase is the company's much-needed boost in its bid to compete with Boeing and Airbus in the Chinese home market.
The C919 jet took flight at the Airshow China in Zhuhai shortly after receiving certification. The Zhuhai Airshow is China's most important and largest airshow. All of China's major defense, aerospace, and aviation companies were present at the airshow to showcase their civil and military technology and products. Approximately 740 organizations participated in this year's airshow.
According to simpleflying, COMAC has participated in the Zhuhai Airshow since 2008 and has achieved numerous "firsts" there, such as the first public flight demonstration of the ARJ21, the first CBJ demonstration, the first CR929 cabin demonstration, and more.
After the said event, COMAC then announced that it had finally inked the above-said deals with several leasing companies, but the aerospace company did not reveal any additional details like cost and valuation.
According to Nikkei Asia, China Development Bank Leasing, ICBC Leasing, CMB Financial Leasing, BOCOM Leasing, CCB Financial Leasing, SPDB Financial Leasing, and Jiangsu Financial Leasing were involved in the deal for 300 aircraft and 30 of COMAC's ARJ21 regional jets.
The company claimed that the orders were a sign of confidence in its efforts to break into what has long been the largest aviation market in the world. The Shanghai-based group stated in a statement: "We need the support of leasing companies to form an industrial chain that promotes the development of the big aircraft sector."
The C919
The C919 is a single-aisle plane that can compete with the likes of the Airbus A320neo series and Boeing's 737 MAX. Reports tell us that this homegrown passenger jet has a list price of $99 million.
According to Nikkei, the C919 can carry up to 192 passengers in a single-class densely packed cabin, which airlines might find appealing on high-capacity routes. The aircraft also has a maximum range of 3,451 miles.
Market Estimates
COMAC recently stated that China would require 9,284 jets over the next two decades to serve its massive market.
As per Reuters, Boeing's forecast from last month, which called for 8,485 new aircraft to be built over the next 20 years, is lower than COMAC's forecast.
At the time, the U.S. manufacturer estimated that China would require 6,370 single-aisle aircraft to support its expanding domestic and international route system, while COMAC estimated that 6,896 such aircraft would be required.
