At 10 a.m. Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh opened its doors for any visitors to look inside the C919 and another Comac aircraft ARJ21 in an exhibition of the company.
Comac showcased its jets at Singapore last week but limited entry to only some business representatives.
Comac chairman He Dongfeng said at the exhibition opening ceremony that the appearance of Comac at Van Don is an important step for its jets to reach the global market.
A Comac flight attendant introduced features of the C919 to visitors. All crew members were Chinese who just left the Singapore Airshow.
C919 is a narrow-body jet with a capacity of 168 passengers and flight range of over 4,000 kilometers. The aircraft’s seat configuration is similar to the Boeing 737 Max and A320/321 models. With the jet China eyes to break the domnance of the U.S. and France in making passenger aircraft.
A C919 costs around $99 million, cheaper than Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737.
C919 has eight business seats with a comfortable design.
It is 2.25 meters from floor to ceiling, and the lighting color can be changed between 10 presets.
There are two passenger rows, each with three seats. Each seat is 18 inches wide.
The aisle is more spacious than other passenger jets of the same category. Behind each seat is a safety instruction written in Chinese and English.
The cockpit of C919 is designed similarly to Airbus A320. Most of the equipment are imported from the U.S. and Europe.
The communication and navigation system uses parts from U.S. manufacturer Rockwell Collins.
Next to the pilot is a screen displaying images of the passenger seats captured by security cameras.
Some other parts are made by U.S. companies. Tires and brakes are manufactured by Honewell, the aluminum body by Acronic, and the black box by GE Aerospace.
The two engines were covered during the exhibition. Comac has announced earlier that it uses the LEAP turbofan engines produced by CFM International, a joint venture between American GE Aerospace and French Safran Aircraft Engines. The same engines are used on the Airbus A320neo.
The ARJ21 jet, the first to be designed and manufactured by Comac, was placed nearby. It uses two engines made by an U.S. company and other key equipment from a German firm.
ARJ21 seats up to 97 passengers and can fly 3,700 kilometers. Chinese airlines have used the aircraft on many domestic routes and have served 13 million passengers. Comac delivered the first ARJ21 to an international buyer in Indonesia in 2022.
