China's Large Aircraft: China Urges European Regulators to Fast-Track Certification of C919 Commercial Plane
After signing a deal to purchase Airbus aircraft, China has delayed approving deliveries of these planes. Reports suggest this move is intended to pressure European regulators into expediting the certification of China's domestically produced C919 commercial jet, accelerating its global rollout—a plane that extensively incorporates Western technology.
According to Bloomberg, citing informed sources on May 27, China has been deliberately delaying approvals for Airbus aircraft deliveries as leverage to push European regulators to accelerate certification of Chinese-made planes.
Airbus stated that its first-quarter commercial aircraft deliveries were the lowest since 2009, partly due to "administrative" issues halting plans to deliver nearly 20 aircraft to China.
CEO Guillaume Faury recently predicted that deliveries would return to normal by the end of June, though he declined to provide further details. Data compiled by Cirium shows that this France-based aircraft manufacturer has delivered only 16 planes to Chinese airlines in the first five months of this year, compared to 47 during the same period last year.
Bloomberg reports that COMAC (China Civil Aviation Aircraft Corporation Limited), commonly known as "COMAC," is seeking its first certification outside Asia for the C919 model. The aircraft heavily relies on Western technologies in engines and avionics systems, positioning it as a direct competitor to Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 models.
The final certification decision will be made by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
China is Airbus’s largest customer by fleet size. According to Airbus’s long-term forecast, China is expected to receive approximately 9,570 new aircraft over the next 20 years.
The C919 can accommodate up to 192 passengers, making it crucial for China’s ambition to challenge the duopoly held by Airbus and Boeing in the global commercial aviation market. Targeting what remains the industry’s largest segment, obtaining Western certification would allow COMAC to launch the C919 globally. Currently, the aircraft operates exclusively within China.
Struggles over aircraft certification are not unprecedented. Earlier this year, former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian-made aircraft destined for the United States and revoke all certifications for newly manufactured Canadian planes unless Ottawa approved certain jets produced by Gulfstream, a subsidiary of General Dynamics.
Source: rfi
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866359098176524/
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