bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

knowledgeQuestion

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Ralph Jennings

China’s first home-grown narrowbody civilian aircraft flew to the capital of the Tibet autonomous region for the first time on Thursday, reaching one of the highest airports in the world known for its challenging weather patterns.
A C919 “smoothly landed” at Lhasa Gonggar Airport in far western China after travelling for about two hours from Chengdu in the southwestern Sichuan province, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
The airport serving the Tibetan capital of Lhasa sits at around 3,650 metres (11,979 feet) above sea level in the Himalayan mountain region, giving it the moniker of the “roof of the world”.
Low air pressure means planes should be in top shape, Guangzhou-based aviation analyst Li Hanming said.
“The change of air pressure due to elevation requires extra performance to take-off and land safely,” Li said.
“The lower air pressure makes it harder for jet fuel to burn, thus reducing [an aircraft’s] thrust and negatively impacting aircraft performance.”


The C919 would conduct “research and development test flights” on the Tibetan plateau to check “key” systems, including avionics, the Xinhua added, referring to the on-board electronics systems for communications and navigation.
The aircraft would also receive “high-plateau airport adaptability inspections”.
In December, the Shanghai-based Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) and the Lhasa-based Tibet Airlines agreed to develop a plateau-suited model of the aircraft.
Comac said in February that it had signed a deal with Tibet Airlines to make 40 of the narrowbody C919 designed for high-altitude plateaus.
The C919, which can carry between 158 passengers and 192 passengers is often regarded as China’s home-grown alternative to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families of aircraft.
The group of aircraft normally have “high-performance” engines with the extra speed needed for take-off and landing in low air density at high elevations and winglets to reduce drag that would hamper performance, said Hugh Ritchie, CEO of Aviation Analysts International in Australia.

Starting from last month, Comac’s smaller and older ARJ21 has also carried out “around the Qinghai-Tibet plateau” demonstration flights with Lhasa, Chengdu in Sichuan province and Xining in Qinghai province as its operating bases, according to Xinhua.
The ARJ21 had reached Daocheng Yading Airport, which is the highest civilian airport in the world at an elevation of 4,411 metres above sea level in Sichuan province.
The C919 first flew commercially in May last year, with Comac delivering its first planes to Air China and China Southern Airlines in August, having previously sold seven to China Eastern Airlines.
And China Southern Airlines used the C919 for the first time on Thursday for a flight between Guangzhou and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Comac is also eager to explore opportunities in the international passenger jet market that is largely controlled by Airbus and Boeing.


C919 manufacturer expands footprint with Hong Kong office, maintenance deal

C919 manufacturer sets up shop in Singapore as China eyes Southeast Asia

C919 tour gives students a glimpse of China’s ‘road to take-off’

China eyes route for C919 into Southeast Asia, with landlocked Laos on the radar

China’s C919 passenger plane

China’s home-grown C919 reaches new heights with flight to ‘roof of the world’

China’s first home-grown narrowbody civilian aircraft flew to the capital of the Tibet autonomous region for the first time on Thursday. Photo: CCTV

China’s  ARJ21 and C919 aircraft. Photo: CCTV

China Southern Airlines used the C919 for the first time on Thursday for a flight between Guangzhou and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Photo: Xinhua

China’s C919 turns in stellar report card, but profitability remains elusive

(240829) -- GUANGZHOU, Aug. 29, 2024 (Xinhua) -- The first C919 aircraft delivered to China Southern Airlines receives a ceremonial water salute on its arrival at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Photo: Xinhua

Air China and China Southern Airlines received their first C919 aircraft last week. Photo: Xinhua

As Boeing flails, does China’s C919 jet have ‘window of opportunity’ in global market?

Air China crew pose with the airline’s first C919 jet on Thursday, shortly after its arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport. Photo: Xinhua

China’s C919 passenger jet spreads its wings with delivery milestone to 3 carriers

China Eastern Airlines has inducted seven C919 passenger jets into service. Photo: Bloomberg

China’s C919 jet gets R&D lift as Comac, HKUST agree to personnel partnership

China’s home-grown C919 jet has seen high demand after a year of commercial flights. Photo: Dickson Lee

China’s home-grown C919 jet has seen high demand after a year of commercial flights. Photo: Sam Tsang

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

China’s C919 passenger jet is the first of what Beijing hopes will be many home-grown planes running domestic and international routes. Photo: AFP

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

Economy

China Economy

News

China

China Future Tech

Aerospace

C919 ‘smoothly landed’ at one of the highest airports in the world in western China on Thursday ahead of a series of ‘research and development test flights’


C919 ‘smoothly landed’ at one of the highest airports in the world in western China on Thursday ahead of a series of ‘research and development test flights’.
