China Eastern Airlines to Deploy C919 on Domestic Routes as Early as December
C919 Air Safety Key to Success of Chinese Aviation Industry
[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Jo Young-shin] China Eastern Airlines announced that it will officially receive the C919 aircraft in December.
According to Chinese media such as China News Service on the 26th, Li Yangmin, General Manager of China Eastern Airlines, said that the C919 passenger aircraft, independently developed by China, will be delivered in December.
General Manager Li stated, "China Eastern Airlines will faithfully fulfill the main responsibility of the first commercial operation of the C919 passenger aircraft," and added that China Eastern Airlines will actively participate in building a transportation power and a civil aviation power.
China Eastern Airlines signed a contract last March to purchase five C919 aircraft. The airline did not disclose the exact number of aircraft to be delivered in December.
Earlier, COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd.), the state-owned manufacturer of the C919, held the airworthiness certification ceremony (aircraft safety flight performance certification) for the C919 on the 29th of last month. Airworthiness certification is the final step for commercial flight.
The 'C' in C919 stands for China, and the number '9' symbolizes eternity. Additionally, the number '19' represents the maximum passenger capacity. The actual seating capacity of this aircraft is known to be between 158 and 168 seats, with a maximum range of approximately 5,500 km. Based on specifications, the C919 is similar to the Boeing (B) 737 and Airbus (A) 320 series. The unit price is 99 million dollars (purchase price by China Eastern Airlines).
China Eastern Airlines is reported to first deploy the C919 passenger aircraft on domestic routes within China.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
