Pilots working for the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have been conducting test flights of the C919 commercial airliner from Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Shanghai.
According to The South China Morning Post, the flights form part of COMAC’s bid to have the C919 certified by Western regulators and open new business avenues in foreign markets.
EASA confirmed to Reuters that “validation activities” involving the C919 had been carried out by way of test flights.
The South China Morning Post learned details of the test flights from a source with knowledge of the development, who also claimed that senior foreign pilots working in China were helping to demonstrate the C919’s reliability.
Additionally, the source claimed that EASA had “agreed the aircraft is good and safe,” although there were some “teething problems that required tweaks”.
While China’s rival to Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’ A320 is already operating in parts of the world, it has not yet been certified by either EASA or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), vastly limiting its potential.
COMAC first applied for the C919 to be certified in 2019, but it was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the process only restarted in 2023.
EASA executive director Florian Guillermet said last year that, if successful, the C919 will be certified in “three to six years”. However, whether or not Western airlines will purchase the aircraft is another matter.
In an interview with Skift in March 2025, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary suggested that, if the price was right, then the carrier would buy the COMAC’s narrowbody aircraft.
“If it was cheap enough – 10 or 20% cheaper than an Airbus aircraft – then we’d order it,” said O’Leary.
In a letter to O’Leary following his comments, US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi warned the low-cost carrier against purchasing Chinese-made COMAC jets.
“Respectfully, U.S. and European airlines should not be even contemplating the future purchase of airplanes from Chinese military companies,” Krishnamoorthi wrote.