China approves commissioning of $90 million COMAC 919 aircraft to compete with Airbus A320 and Boeing 737

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has issued a type certificate for the COMAC 919 aircraft. The document means that the aircraft meets all requirements and standards set out in the Civil Aviation Regulations and is ready for commissioning.

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Local airline China Eastern Air will be the first owner of the COMAC 919. It will receive the debut passenger aircraft by the end of 2022. The COMAC 919 is intended to compete with the A320 and 737 airliners from Airbus and Boeing, respectively.

Initially, one of the main advantages of the Chinese plane was to be the cost. COMAC 919 was estimated at $50 million, but eventually the price doubled to $100 million. Last month due to the fall of Chinese currency the cost of the plane has decreased to $90 million. For comparison, an Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 cost about $110 and $105 respectively.

Source: Simple Flying