China’s C919 passes ‘deep level’ post-flight safety tests, ramps up rivalry with embattled Boeing
- A crew of more than 60 checked a China Eastern Airlines C919 during four days of tests in Shanghai
- Home-grown narrowbody jet is only certified to fly in China, and China Southern Airlines said on Tuesday it would receive its first C919 in August
China’s first home-grown narrowbody passenger jet has passed a battery of “deep level” safety tests as part of a step that is expected to help the C919 find overseas markets as its rival Boeing wrestles with a list of mechanical woes.
China Eastern Airlines Technology, a subsidiary of the group that owns C919 operator China Eastern Airlines, concluded four days of “A-inspection” tests on Monday at a hangar in Shanghai, the Civil Aviation Administration said on Tuesday.
The aircraft is required to undergo safety checks after either every four months, 700 flight hours or 500 flight cycles – meaning the operation of an engine from take-off to landing – depending on which threshold is reached first.
A crew of more than 60 checked the aircraft – referred to as B-919A by China Eastern Airlines – and tested its engines, landing gear and all equipment in the cabin, according to the regulator.
The Chinese will offer a better price, and of course they will advertise their aircraft of similar quality as Boeing
“The Chinese aircraft builder has a chance to compete with Boeing,” said Alexander Vuving, a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies in Hawaii.
