My first time aboard the Comac C919: here are my impressions of the first "homemade in China" plane

In the 1960s/70s there were many aircraft manufacturers, but trust and orders were (almost) all for Boeing and MD (which today are the same thing).

Then came Airbus and for the first time in 2003 overtook its American rival in orders and recently 737max tragedies and all the other issues. have erased trust and the old adage "If it's not a Boeing, I'm not going." Is now a faded memory of the past.

Today, if you fly short/medium haul 9 out of 10 flights, but maybe a little more, you sit aboard a 737 or A320 family aircraft. Of course there are also some alternatives, but Airbus bought itself the A220 invented by Bombardier, while some companies use Embraers made in Brazil, but we are talking about smaller and "easier" aircraft to assemble.

From December 2022, however, there is the third wheel and he is not exactly clueless, since he is The Comac 919/100, the first fully Chinese-built aircraft of this size To have ever entered service.

Made in China, but not at 100%

A small clarification. The project is Chinese, the fuselage is entirely manufactured in China, But there are a lot of western parts such as engines (CFMs), avionics systems (the on-board computers), and the landing gear.

All made in China, but technology owned by companies that have the expertise and who have been supplying their products to all operators for years. The point is that to study, from scratch, an engine for an airplane takes no less than 10 to 15 years, and so Comac, while working on its engine, did as everyone else does turned to the  market.

How many C919 aircraft there are and where they are flying to date

There are not many of them and only one company has them in its fleet. China Eastern, one of the 3 sisters "China" was the first customer of the Comac C919/100 and has, currently 5 C919s in its fleet. I flew on the B-919F the fifth plane, delivered in March 2024, practically had not yet finished the break-in.

In total, however, there are more than 200 machines that have been ordered and will be produced in the coming years, at present, only by the various Chinese companies.

The company uses these planes on three specific routes, obviously in mix with the rest of the fleet, the most frequent is Shanghai (SHA) Chengdu (TFU) then also makes several rotations to Beijing (DAX) and Xi'an (XIY).

Will we ever see the C919 in European skies?

Never say never, but certainly the fact that potentially costs much less than the competition might prompt some companies to take the first step in a few years, but first it will have to be certified in the EU and by the FAA as well.

Given China's powerful investments in Africa I wouldn't be surprised if the first orders came from the continent that has the oldest fleet today of aircraft in circulation in the world.

From outside

While observing the aero parked at the gate, a distracted eye might confuse it with an A320neo, sure The classic wing slopes of the more modern version are missing of the bestseller made in Toulouse, but these are details that few people notice.

What looks odd, almost posturing, is the front of the plane. It looks like Airbus's, but it looks ungainly compared to the rest.

There are two differences that immediately make it clear that it is not an A320/737:

1. The side window on the A320 it is split into two, whereas here it is one, about the same size as the two on the Airbus
2. the emergency exit above the control cabin. This escape hatch is present in the A220, but neither the 737, let alone the A320, have this hatch that here instead is present and clearly visible like all aircraft doors, since it is highlighted.

On board

Compared to the A320 what is definitely noticeable are the larger windows, and thanks to the slightly larger size of the fuselage, you have a more airy environment, partly due to the hat racks that are more tapered, but for that reason no less roomy.

The set-up is two-class: 8 business class seats, 2-2 and then the classic 3-3.

The space on board is nowhere near what these planes offer in Europe, the knees are not sacrificed and there is no need to wedge into the seat either.

On the other hand, the choice to have a larger cabin is paid for with significantly smaller hatboxes, even of older generations of A320s and the like.

Seat that reclines, has adjustable headrest and my beloved air vents surrounded by personal light LEDs. Simple yet modern solution.

Obviously there is no IFE, and there should also be wi-fi, but it was not active on my flight. However, there are screens where, in addition to the security video, various kinds of footage are broadcast. Under the seats are a power strip and two traditional USB sockets for every 3 seats.

Very nice finding of the Coffee table that "hides" the glass holder. Not only do you increase the available surface area, but you do not run the risk of dropping it. Missing, however, are those solutions that have popped up in recent years of cell phone supports and tablets so that they do not have to invent alternative ways of not having to be with the device in hand all the time.

China Eastern is "proud" of its flagship And he remembers it everywhere. In the headrest, in the pouch for those with weak stomachs, in the glasses and even on the dessert that is served to passengers aboard these planes.

LED lighting, as is now on all modern aircraft.

There are three bathrooms on board, one for business passengers and two in the back for everyone else. Definitely spacious bathroom, here the extra inches are all visible.

Last, but not least it is really quiet, but in this case it is also thanks to the engines, but not only that. Zero vibration and in general it almost felt like I was on an A220.

In conclusion

Is it safe to fly there? Yes. I think it's probably the most tested airplane in history, before it was put into service, we are not talking about the classic chinoiserie, not even a "simple" electric car, but about a complex machine that was built to show the world the level of engineering independence achieved by Chinese companies.

I doubt they took shortcuts like at Boeing for the 737max and that is why it took longer than expected to start deliveries. As mentioned, ad today, it flies only in China, but with the increase of models in service sooner or later it will be easy to see it around Southeast Asia.

• C919
• comac