C919: China to develop high-altitude version of narrowbody passenger jet seeking to reduce reliance on Boeing, Airbus
- Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China and Tibet Airlines signed a cooperation deal on Sunday in Shanghai to jointly develop a plateau-suited model of the C919
- It follows the maiden commercial flight of China’s first domestically developed narrowbody passenger jet in May, with three planes delivered to China Eastern Airlines
China is developing a version of its first domestically developed narrowbody passenger jet suitable for high-altitude plateaus just six months after its maiden commercial flight and amid its pursuit of more technological self-reliance in aviation.
The state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), the designer and manufacturer of the C919, signed a cooperation deal with Tibet Airlines on Sunday in Shanghai to jointly develop a plateau-suited model of the aircraft.
“Tibet Airlines has accumulated rich experience in flying at high plateaus as China’s first plateau airline, and will work with Comac to push forward the research and development of domestic high plateau jets,” Comac president Zhou Xinmin said, according to Tibet Airlines’ WeChat account.
They agreed to jointly establish a national research centre during the signing ceremony, the report said, although no timetable was given for the development of the new model.
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A look inside China’s home-grown civilian passenger jets, the ARJ21 and C919
As the country with the world’s most airports located on plateaus, China is trying to further develop a new domestic jet for its complex plateau regions to reduce its reliance on overseas suppliers for aviation products.
The Boeing 737-700 and the Airbus A330 and A319 predominantly dominate the Chinese market for plateau-suited jets.
Plateau-suited jets are shorter and carry more oxygen cylinders to ensure the aircraft can maintain a continuous supply of oxygen in the event of a depressurisation, according to an article published by Comac in 2015.
The engines also have more thrust to support sustained flight at higher altitudes where the air is thinner, and are equipped with more accurate satellite communication systems to suit the complex terrain, the article added.
What is China’s C919 passenger jet and can it take on Airbus, Boeing?
Tibet is one of the most difficult regions in the world to fly due to its windy and sandy conditions during winter and spring, and thunderstorms in summer and autumn.
Wind speeds can change dramatically, and the complexity of the region’s geography limits the flight of ordinary aircraft over the plateau, according to a report in June by China Aviation Daily magazine.
China has 176 passenger aircraft operating on plateaus routes, accounting for less than 5 per cent of its entire civil aviation passenger fleet, the report said.
Earlier, Comac unveiled an expanded model of the C919 with 210 seats, which is 7.4 metres (24.3 feet) longer than the current jet, and can operate between China’s major cities and the Asia-Pacific region.
