China’s narrow-body aircraft, the C919, which is owned by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), made its first international flight on Wednesday, Aug. 12, from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The journey took around two hours and departed at 3:00 p.m. China Standard Time (CST) from Beijing.
China’s newly commercialised passenger aircraft
This is the first time Air China has commercially operated a C919 passenger plane and entered international airspace, flying outside of Chinese territory. The aircraft is part of a plan to establish the Chinese-owned aviation company, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), as a globally recognised aviation manufacturer.
COMAC was first established on May 11, 2008, in Shanghai, and its headquarters are located in Pudong, Shanghai. According to its website, the company’s corporate vision is to ensure its commercial aircraft provide comfort and are environmentally friendly, economical, and safe.
The C919 narrow-body aircraft made its maiden flight on May 5, 2017, and entered commercial service in 2023; it seats up to 168 passengers and flies up to 5,555 km.
Could COMAC become a top aviation competitor?
From the outset, the C919 was built to compete with the well-known U.S. Boeing and European Airbus planes. Despite this, the aircraft still uses mainly foreign components from the U.S. and Europe, which limits its overseas market. More established aircraft models similar to the C919 at the time of its introduction, such as the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737, were and still are more in demand.
COMAC has since expanded on these features to more closely resemble the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo, with the C919 having short-stretched properties and carrying up to 174 passengers.
Although China has increased C919 production and is projected to manufacture 200 jets by 2029, flag carrier Air China is set to buy at least 200 Boeing aircraft.
This international flight is still considered a success for China’s advancements in global aviation, as the flight from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, becomes a daily trajectory for the public.
Expanding China’s global flights may further establish COMAC as a key aviation competitor.
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