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| C919 aircraft taking off from Pudong airport, Shanghai. |
What is C919?
C919 is a single-aisle and Twin-engine passenger jet developed by the state-owned aerospace manufacturer, The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, with an aim to compete with already well-established western companies like Boeing, Airbus, and Lockheed Martin, etc. The Comac initiated the program in 2008, and the production of a prototype began in the last month of 2011. The passenger jet was first unveiled in 2015 and took off the ground on the 5th of this May from the Pudong International Airport, Shangai, amid massive celebrations.
Structure and design of C919
The passenger jet is predominantly made out of aluminum metal and can carry passengers ranging from 156 to 168 in its normal operating mode. The economy class entails 156 seats whereas the hybrid class provides 168 passenger seats. The range of the basic version varies from 4,075km to 5,555km, and the economic life is predicted to be approximately 90,000 flying hours or 30 years.
Purpose of C919
The worth of the global jet market is estimated to be $2 trillion in the next two decades and is expected to grow rapidly with time. The purpose of the production of this passenger jet is to take on the already well-entrenched western companies that are earning huge profits with little or no competition from the rest of the world. The people’s Republic of China is considered to be one of the largest aviation markets which depend on the western companies for the fulfillment of its jets’ requirements.Thus this jet is the first step to enter the lucrative market and counter companies like Airbus and Boeing but does not in any way represent a threat to these giants, currently.
Even the spokesman of the Coman clarified this by saying,” You cannot compare us to the bigger companies, they are in an entirely different stage.” In the longer term, it can prove to be a threat to the current market leaders in the aviation industry because of its lower price tag and advanced features.
Cheap but questions on efficiency
The total cost of the C919 passenger jet is quite low compared to the Boeing and Airbus jets and is even half of these competitors, but a catalog price tag of about $50 million which is less than even the half of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 could prove to be internationally a major issue. The European Union very strictly follows the codes of conduct for the flight safety of passenger jets and thus have not so far approved the design of the Chinese aircraft as yet.
One cannot call it a Chinese Jet
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| Construction of C919 Aircraft |
Though it is a tremendous achievement for Chinese aviation industry and a significant step towards competing with the western companies, the passenger jet cannot be truly called a “Chinese aircraft.” The reason for this phrase is the design, control mechanisms, materials and operating software that have been employed. Most of them are being made by the American and Western companies. It is expected that it will take China quite a long time to make a genuinely indigenous aircraft.
Orders so far
According to the Comac, it has received a total of 566 orders as yet and looking forward to receiving more. The main aspirant for the C919 are the Chinese state-owned institutions with only a few orders from abroad due to non-compliance with European safety standards. In spite of this, China would be able to sell its aircraft to the countries that accept the C919 certifications without Western approvals. Developing Countries like Bolivia, Zimbabwe, Tajikistan, and Pakistan have bought Chinese jets before and can be potential buyers for the C919 aircraft.
This C919 is not only a bid to capture the lucrative market but has also been termed as the symbol of China's national pride. How much it proves to be a successful venture is yet to be seen because such efforts have failed in the past.
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