Flying the COMAC C919 – China’s Game Changer?

I just flew on China’s new airplane COMAC C919 from Shanghai to Chengdu with China Eastern Airlines.

It’s been more than 3 years since I last visited mainland China. The flight was a pleasant and modern one for me and many other aviation enthusiasts. Powered by the same CFM leap engines, the C919 shares many similarities with Airbus and Boeing. My flight took almost 3 hours, flying at 34,000 ft with a maximum speed of Mach 0.78.

During the flight, I experienced both C919 Business and Economy class seat features, the lavatory and galley. The middle seat width on C919 is half an inch wider to compensate for the shoulder room like A220. I spoke with the operating crew about their training and operation on the new C919. At the end of the flight, I gave my verdict as a passenger on the C919.

In short, the C919 needs to prove itself in commercial service that it can meet the economics and the required efficiency. Currently, there are over 500 orders by Chinese airlines and leasing companies but the future success depends on foreign certification of this airplane.