China's C919 airliner is undergoing its first major maintenance checks, a critical step for its long-term airworthiness and a bid to gain European regulatory approval. China Southern Airlines completed the first 'C-check' in May, a rigorous process involving 6,000 man-hours.
A leading Chinese aviation engineer has set out a detailed blueprint for building a fully self-sufficient supply chain for large passenger jets. The paper, written by Zhang Yanzhong, a senior academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and the former chief scientist of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, acknowledged there was a very real risk that the country could be cut off entirely from components made in the West. Known as the “father of China’s large aircraft” for his...
China’s flagship civilian aircraft maker is planning to upgrade the cabin capacity of its C919 narrowbody airliner to improve passenger experience and boost the plane’s chances of challenging the Boeing-Airbus duopoly, a source with knowledge of the plans said. Bigger overhead luggage compartments and drip-proof air conditioning outlets are among the design upgrades being sketched out by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). “Comac has realised it must make passengers as...
China's Civil Aviation Administration has signed partnership agreements with Hong Kong and Macau to accelerate type certification for the C929 widebody airliner. The cooperation builds on the existing framework for the C919 narrowbody and will involve technicians from both regions participating in the certification process. The C929 is designed to compete with Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 models, representing China's strategic push to break the Western duopoly in commercial aviation.
China's C919 aircraft program faces significant delivery shortfalls due to engine supply constraints. Only 3 aircraft were delivered in Q1 2026 against a target of 28+ for the year, with just 35 delivered since late 2022. The C919 relies on the LEAP-1C engine from CFM International (GE Aerospace-Safran joint venture), exposing structural vulnerability when US export restrictions disrupted deliveries last year.
Comac delivered just 15 C919 single-aisle jets in 2025, far short of its 75-unit target, as the Shanghai-based manufacturer grapples with supply chain dependencies on Western suppliers for engines and avionics, alongside persistent manpower shortages. The aircraft, intended to compete with Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families, sources most airframe components domestically but relies on foreign suppliers for critical core systems.
Only three C919 aircraft have been delivered in 2025 so far – two to China Southern on February 5 and March 2, and one to Air China on March 27 – with no deliveries in January. Analysts blame engine supply chain issues, noting CFM LEAP engines are not arriving and key components like blades are delayed.
