Maiden flight of C919 jet may be delayed to 2020
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, May 14, 2015
The maiden flight of China's homegrown commercial jet, the Comac C919, is behind schedule and delivery could be pushed back as much as two years, sources familiar with the program have said.
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The maiden flight of China's homegrown commercial jet, the Comac C919, is behind schedule and delivery could be pushed back as much as two years, sources familiar with the program have said. |
The narrow-body aircraft, which will be able to carry 156 to 168 passengers and aims to compete with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, was originally scheduled to fly by the end of this year, but two sources said it will be delayed until the first half of next year.
Delivery of the first plane, scheduled for 2018, is also likely to slip, perhaps to as late as 2020, the sources said.
That means the C919 will be later and a technologically inferior product than the re-engined and improved variants of the 737 and A320 that will enter service in the next two years.
State-owned Comac, which is leading the design, development and production efforts into the C919, declined to comment.
China has high hopes for the C919 in the lucrative narrow-body market, which accounts for more than 50 percent of the aircraft in service.
The final assembly of the first aircraft is taking longer than expected at the production facility in Shanghai, said the sources, who declined to be identified as they are not authorized to speak to the media.
"Comac is proceeding extremely cautiously with the aircraft. It is deliberately checking everything ... to ensure there are no safety issues," one said.
Comac has commitments for 450 C919s, mainly from Chinese airlines and leasing firms. Further delays will make it harder for the plane to make an impact beyond its home market.
China has said the development of an aerospace industry is central to economic growth, and the C919 and acquisition of the associated technological know-how is key to that goal.
While Comac executives and government officials are concerned about the impact of the delays on the image of the C919 and the country, safety is a priority, the sources said.
"Any delay is unfortunate, but it is far more important to have an aircraft that's safe and reliable. China is developing the C919 with long-term goals in mind, and it must be patient," said one of the sources.
The first aircraft is in its sub-assembly facility and will be rolled to the adjacent final assembly plant once the tail, vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer are fixed. Two CFM International Leap 1C engines will then be fitted.
"There is still a lot of work to do. At the pace that Comac is proceeding, they will only complete the systems integration around the end of 2015," one of the sources said.
The aircraft will then undergo ground tests, which could take several more months.
Subsidiaries of AVIC, China's state-owned aerospace conglomerate, are manufacturing the major components of the C919, but Comac is dependent on global suppliers for many of the aircraft's systems.
Many of the suppliers have been asked to form joint ventures with Chinese firms, with the government hoping China will eventually have the capability to produce the systems and components at home.
While Chinese designers and engineers conceived and developed the C919, Comac has hired several former employees of American and European aerospace companies to help with the program.
The company will be hoping to learn from its much-delayed 100-seat ARJ-21 jet, which received its type certification in December, six years after its first flight and more than 12 years after it was conceived.
The first plane is due to be delivered to launch customer Chengdu Airlines in the coming months.
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