China is moving to adjust aviation regulations in a bid to strengthen the competitiveness of its domestically developed C919 narrowbody jet, potentially opening the door to wider use at smaller airports and improving its prospects in Southeast Asia.
At the Singapore Airshow this week, Comac scored a six-unit order for its C909 regional jet, albeit on this occasion in an aerial fire-fighting guise.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China said that it has set out “special conditions” that would allow the C919 to operate from narrower runways than originally specified. The regulator released a draft proposal for public consultation, with a 10-working-day comment period, outlining revised technical and safety requirements tailored to the aircraft’s design.
The C919, developed by state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, was initially certified for runways with a minimum width of 45 metres, a standard typical of major international airports. Under the proposed change, the minimum runway width could be reduced to 30 metres, a move the regulator said is intended to “meet market demands” while maintaining safety margins.
If implemented, the change would allow the C919 to operate at a far larger number of airports across China, including regional and general aviation facilities that use narrower runways. It would also align the aircraft more closely with competing models from Boeing and Airbus, whose 737 and A320 family jets are already certified for operations on such runways.
Configured for up to 192 seats, the C919 is designed to compete directly with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families. According to independent aviation analyst Li Hanming, the regulatory change would allow the Chinese jet to “enter some markets previously dominated by the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320,” particularly where airport infrastructure has limited runway width.