COMAC C919
(artist's impression)
C919 – story and specifications
The COMAC C919 is a proposed narrow-body passenger airliner that has yet to make a prototype test flight but which has been projected to come into production for deliveries by 2016. The C919 is the Chinese aviation industry’s attempt to become independent of foreign-made Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Even though the C919 will initially be manufactured using imported materials and parts, in time the production of the engine is supposed to happen locally. It is also significant that no parts will be supplied by either Airbus or Boeing or any of the traditional big-name Western aviation engineering role-players, with the exception of General Electric in the USA, who have a hand in developing the LEAP-X engine.
The C919 will have a passenger capacity peaking at around 200 seats and will be neither faster nor have a higher service ceiling than existing planes in its category. Its range will vary between approximately 4000 and 5500km, making it unsuitable for long-haul international flights, although this is not a problem for a narrow-bodied aircraft. Its dimensions are similar to that of the Airbus A320, of which it may yet turn out to be a direct industry rival.
Detailed specifications for the C919 are harder to obtain because it has yet to make a test flight and it is scheduled to have six different models (including a cargo transport version). Eventual performance of the plane will be interesting to monitor but generally it does not seem to be able to exceptionally outperform its rivals. It seems to be more a case of trying to manufacture at home what has previously needed to be imported, without trying to revolutionize the industry or make a major advance in aviation technology. The agenda seems to be replacement and not improvement.
(artist's impression)
Industry interest and reputation
One cannot speak of a reputation for the C919 at this stage because it has yet to come into service, but interest has been significant, with 55 orders already placed and another 45 options on the list. Six companies have shown this type of interest so far, and four of them are Chinese airlines.
However, interest has not been limited to domestic players and Ryanair, the prominent European regional airline, has made a commitment to assist in the design of the C919. Ryanair can identify with the Chinese commercial aviation industry in that it is also trying to move away from Airbus and Boeing in acquiring new planes, having become dissatisfied with the prices offered by those companies. Ryanair’s decision is particularly notable because the airline operates around 300 Boeing aircraft at present and switching to the COMAC plane is seen as an opportunity to reduce costs. If Ryanair’s investment in COMAC’s aircraft is successful and their expectation of lower operating costs is fulfilled, that success may cause severe repercussions for Boeing and Airbus since other major airlines may then try the same option.
It is, once again, too soon to make predictions about the C919′s industry performance.
Passenger prejudice
The development of the jets by COMAC is interesting because if the planes enter into mass production airlines may have a serious alternative to Airbus and Boeing. However, the introduction of a new make of aircraft into international commercial aviation may also encounter resistance from passengers. It is unfortunate that in Western society there is a traditional derisory aversion to any goods manufactured in China, a tradition which is not always supported by actual patterns of consumption and which may have more to do with the way that Chinese manufacturers are usurping consumer market share than with the actual quality of the goods themselves. When dealing with toasters or shoes, such nationalistic skepticism may merely be part of brand marketing, but in the case of commercial aviation any plane that is used by a major international airline would have to meet certain performance and safety standards and the fact that an airline such as Ryanair is prepared to become involved in the design of the C919 is a commendation in itself. COMAC has already received more than 50 orders for the C919, so people who stridently criticize and deride the Chinese planes before they have even taken off may find themselves sitting in one in the next ten years.
Airlines would probably not invest in aircraft that cannot match the present performance specifications of their existing fleets, such as flight duration (cruising speed) and fuel efficiency. Narrow-bodied aircraft are often used for domestic and/or regional flight routes, so the lack of first class seating or even business class seating is also not an issue. Domestic flights sometimes only have economy class seating, and this has little to do with the plane that is being used, since the route is also a factor in determining which type of plane is more suitable.
International aviation authorities would not allow a plane to be used if it was a safety hazard. It is actually fallacious to start speculating about the safety performance of a plane before it has hit the tarmac because in the history of aviation other planes, which were supposed to be masterpieces of human engineering, have developed mundane yet extremely dangerous technical defects. The prime example is the Concorde, which was supposed to be the next step in commercial aviation but which was eventually found to have weak tires. The tires had a 60 times higher chance of bursting than tires on other planes, and it was a burst tire that was involved in the one fatal crash in the Concorde’s operating track record (the Air France accident in 2000). Stronger tires were developed after that accident but Air France retired its Concorde fleet anyway. Other makes and models of aircraft have also needed occasional adjustments or checks.
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The argument that only the traditionally industrialized (developed or First World) nations should be allowed to manufacture passenger aircraft is also false. China has been involved in the manufacture of Airbus aircraft. And one of the most widely used smaller jets in commercial aviation is the Embraer narrow-bodied jet. However, the Embraer is manufactured in Brazil, which is certainly not a developed/First World nation. At present, Embraer delivers more than 200 aircraft annually. In a globalized international economy in which skills, materials and concepts are traded and imported at a relatively high speed, and in which there is international outsourcing of operations on a large scale, it is counter-productive to rely only on certain geographical locations as manufacturers of reliable and/or safe aircraft. Many skilled workers in developed nations were not educated or trained there, and vice versa. Many industrial facilities in Third World countries are also the result of foreign investment. The manufacturing operations of some First World companies are based in Third World countries. Industry standards therefore cannot be confined solely to national borders any more.
And aircraft are not like shoes or watches, which can be replicated to produce counterfeit merchandise. A counterfeit watch may stop working after only a few months, and counterfeit shoes may fall apart shortly after purchase, but the safety, reliability and industry-standard performance of an aircraft cannot be achieved by using the same method of outward imitation. The importance of safety in the aviation industry is too high and the nature of the service provided means that inferior aircraft will very soon be abandoned, if they are allowed to operate at all. Also, the construction of the C919 is going to use imported parts and engines, which are therefore not Chinese imitations.
For all of these reasons, basing the safety and/or performance assessment of any international passenger aircraft purely on the nationality of its manufacturer is highly prejudicial and discriminatory and should not be tolerated. However, if as a passenger you have any concerns about the aircraft that you are going to be flying in, please contact us so that we can provide you with more information and industry-specific insights.
