The Comac C919 made its successful first test flight raising the prospect that British passengers may soon be flying on the jet. Staying airborne for 79 minutes, the event of this Chinese-built large aircraft flying was screened live across China.
The plane is intended to compete directly with the two most successful short-haul aircraft, the Airbus A320 series and the Boeing 737. It is due to enter service in 2020 with China Eastern, and will be deployed on domestic and regional services. Almost all of the 500-plus orders so far are from airlines and leasing companies in the People’s Republic, where the standard short-haul jets are built by Airbus in Europe and Boeing in the US.
Ryanair had signed a MoU six years ago with the manufacturer stating “to participate in discussions on the development“of the C919, which is designed to carry 150-200 passengers. The Irish airline promised to “share its experience and expertise” with the plane maker.
Michael O’Leary, the then chief executive of Ryanair said in a statement that they are pleased that there is now a real alternative to Boeing and Airbus, and Ryanair seriously interested in the development of a 200 seat variant of the C919 aircraft.
According to experts of the aviation industry, the move was really intended to strengthen Ryanair’s hand in its negotiations with Boeing over future orders. The airline, which is now the biggest carrier of passengers within Europe, has a fleet exclusively comprised of 737s, with 100 more on order and options on a further 100.
Following the successful maiden flight, Ryanair said that the C919 is still of interest, so long as a 199-seat version becomes available “and is competitively priced”.
