Air China, China Southern set to receive first C919s as flight tests wrap up

Comac has completed flight testing for the first C919 aircraft to be delivered to state-owned carriers Air China and China Eastern. The first Air China C919 – carrying test registration B-002M – completed tests on 10 August, according to a post on Chinese social media by state-owned aerospace giant AVIC. On 3 August, flight tests for China Southern’s first C919 (B-002L) took place. The completion now paves the way for their imminent delivery, marking a new chapter for the programme. Air China is expected to take its first C919 at end-August, while no timeline has been disclosed for China Southern. The deliveries will mark the first time the C919 is being delivered to a new customer apart from launch operator China Eastern. According to AVIC, Air China will configure its C919s in a two-class layout with 158 seats: eight in business class and 150 in economy class. This compares to the 164-seat configuration adopted by China Eastern and China Southern. Air China and China Southern placed orders for 100 C919s each in April, providing a needed boost for the programme. Other Chinese operators that have signed for the C919 are Tibet Airlines – which placed an order at the Singapore air show this year – as well as Hainan Airlines units Suparna Airlines and Urumqi Air. <br/>