Overview
- EASA confirmed to Reuters that its pilots carried out validation test flights of COMAC's C919 in Shanghai.
- The sorties form part of efforts to secure Western certification, a prerequisite for wider international sales.
- An SCMP-sourced account said the jet was considered “good and safe” with some teething issues requiring tweaks, though no approval has been granted.
- EASA’s director previously estimated successful certification could take three to six years after a process delayed by the pandemic and restarted in 2023.
- Prospective demand remains uncertain as pricing and geopolitics loom large, with Ryanair expressing conditional interest and a U.S. lawmaker urging caution.