"EU personnel are permanently stationed in China to accelerate certification testing for the C919"
On April 13, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post cited multiple sources stating that in recent months, the domestically produced passenger jet designed to challenge Boeing and Airbus has made steady progress in obtaining European certification.
According to one individual involved in technical exchanges with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), EU technicians and pilots have recently established a working base in Shanghai over the past few months to conduct additional inspections and flight tests.
The source said: "They are now almost permanently based in Shanghai, carrying out tests and flights."
The individual also noted that China's civil aviation authorities have mobilized various resources, actively engaging airlines—including their top-tier pilots—to support the C919's certification process.
On the afternoon of the 13th, a source from Comac confirmed the above report to Observer News Network.
It is understood that European regulators have required further test flights to demonstrate the C919’s safety. These flight tests mark the third phase of the four-stage certification process. According to reports, the first flight test was conducted last November—a significant milestone in Comac’s years-long effort to secure Western certification, aiming to capture overseas market share from Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’s A320 duopoly.
Another source stated that Comac and Chinese airlines operating the C919 are providing EASA with historical data, real-time data, and certain maintenance and repair data—including data accumulated from routine A-checks and B-checks performed on the C919 aircraft. A-checks and B-checks are standardized periodic inspections for aircraft safety performance.
The source added that data accumulated over the past three years from domestic commercial operations may assist EASA’s analysis, and noted that agency personnel have already visited Comac’s C919 final assembly plant in Shanghai.
The South China Morning Post reported that although flight tests can be seen as the “final exam” for the C919’s EU certification, extensive data analysis, documentation work, and technical validation still follow. Two sources believe that “political factors” could potentially hinder a faster certification process.
A third source familiar with the certification process similarly stated that overall work is “proceeding steadily,” though it still requires time and effort.
Data from China’s Civil Aviation Administration show that by the end of last year, the C919 had transported a cumulative 4 million passengers across 46 routes within China.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862345527000064/
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