Exclusive | China’s C919 jet noses closer to European certification as regulators plan visit

European technicians and aviation officials will visit China next month to examine the country’s home-grown C919 jet and continue its certification process

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European regulators and technicians will run C919 flight simulations as part of their trip to Shanghai to continue the aircraft’s certification process. Photo: Frank Chen

Published: 1:54pm, 24 Jun 2024Updated: 11:44am, 25 Jun 2024

International approval for the C919 – China’s prized home-grown passenger jet – appears to be moving closer to reality, as a delegation of aviation officials and technicians from Europe are set to touch down in early July to conduct field checks and begin the certification process in earnest.

Officials from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will take part in flight simulations for the aircraft, confer with its design team and meet with their counterparts in the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), according to sources familiar with the matter.

The European delegation will also have “ample opportunity” for detailed examination, boarding the plane for an up-close look and visiting the assembly lines of manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac).

The planned visit represents a step forward as Beijing lobbies to get the plane certified by European regulators, an achievement which would give prospective buyers in Europe and elsewhere greater confidence as they mull potential deals with Comac.

A date for regulators to take the Chinese plane on a special verification flight has not yet been set. It could take place later this year or in early 2025, they said.