China’s C919 jetliner — a no-show at the country’s biggest air show this week — has found it harder to meet certification and production targets amid tough US export rules, according to three people with knowledge of the program.
The state-owned manufacturer, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC, 中國商用飛機), has been unable to get timely help from suppliers and has run out of some spare parts, the sources said.
As of December last year, the US has required special licenses to export parts and technology assistance to any company with ties to the Chinese military. That has hindered the C919 program, which has been in development for 13 years — one of the longest such periods in aviation.
Photo: AFP
The C919 is assembled in China, but relies heavily on Western components, including engines and avionics. That has made it vulnerable to crackdowns on key technology transfers.
US-linked suppliers are gradually receiving the licenses, but the setback has slowed down Chinese certification, and months-long delays threaten to affect early production, the sources said.
COMAC has 815 provisional orders, but only China Eastern Airlines Corp (中國東方航空) placed a firm order for five jets.
The state-backed airline said last month that it expects to receive its first C919 by the end of the year, two for next year and two more in 2023.
A slow production start would mean the C919 does not pose a near-term threat to Airbus SE and Boeing Co, which produce dozens of narrow-bodied aircraft a month.
“One of the biggest hurdles is going to be the supply chain, especially now with inflation, material availability and supplier changes,” said Alex Krutz, an aerospace supply chain expert at US-based aerospace consultancy Patriot Industrial Partners.
“The suppliers may not have the liquidity to make the post-certification changes or be willing as they were a few years ago to continue supporting an initial lower-rate production program like COMAC,” he added.
COMAC is years behind its initial certification schedule — one reason it did not take the C919 to the China Airshow.
“COMAC are very preoccupied with test flights. They’re behind schedule and are flying as much as they can to reach the minimum hours needed for Chinese certification,” an industry source said. “Despite all the issues, COMAC is very determined to get certified, as this is a paramount political task.”
Sources say that the C919 is likely to receive its type certificate from China’s aviation regulator by the end of this year, but that there will be a long list of limits on flight operations. Even after the certification, COMAC must make upgrades, the sources said.
The sources with knowledge of the C919 program said the jet’s progress seemed to mirror the certification pattern and slow production of its predecessor, the ARJ21 regional jet.
The ARJ21 faced a 30-month gap between obtaining a “type certificate,” which declares the design safe, and a “production certificate” allowing it to enter mass production.
That contrasts with the West, where those certificates are often granted almost simultaneously.
About 60 ARJ21 aircraft have been delivered to date, but the production ramp-up was also slow, rising from two planes a year in 2017 to 24 last year, according to COMAC data.
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