Exclusive | China’s C919 edges closer to EU landing as regulators give ‘positive’ feedback

Following a hands-on visit, positive feedback from regulators has raised hope China’s C919 jet may be cleared for operations in Europe

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European regulators ran simulations on flight-accurate C919 instrumentation during their July visit to Shanghai. Photo: Frank Chen

Published: 7:00am, 9 Aug 2024Updated: 2:10am, 10 Aug 2024

After an on-the-ground check of China’s home-grown C919 passenger jet by European Union regulators last month in Shanghai, the country’s civil aviation authorities have become more optimistic about receiving EU certification for the plane in 2025, according to a source with knowledge of the process.

“The delegation from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) gave positive feedback,” said the person.

One essential task for European technicians during their visit was to operate and evaluate C919’s level-D simulators, made with real cockpit equipment and designed to replicate take-off, landing and a variety of emergencies as authentically as possible.

In a corporate circular last year, the plane’s state-owned manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) said these simulators featured a full-size replica of the model’s cockpit, significantly improved visuals and an expanded horizontal field of view for each pilot, with additional motion effects to more accurately simulate various in-flight events.

EASA representatives also boarded a C919 plane, their second hands-on look after an earlier visit in March, spending hours checking the cockpit and cabin and discussing specifics with their Chinese counterparts.

“They had a sharp eye on everything and also asked about a lot of details,” the source said. “They paid extraordinary attention to C919 commercial operations in domestic airlines.”