Comac’s C919 will not be certified in Europe for 3 to 6 years, according to EASA director
By Olivier James
The Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac will have to wait between 3 and 6 years before obtaining European certification for its single-aisle aircraft, the C919. A schedule unveiled by the director of EASA, Florian Guillermet, in an exclusive interview with L’Usine Nouvelle. The executive notes an acceleration in the Chinese company’s approach to expanding the commercial playing field of this competitor to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.
Comac’s managers hoped for it in 2025. They will have to wait a little longer. While the C919 obtained its certification from the Chinese authorities (CAAC) at the end of 2023, the competitor to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 will have to wait a few more years before winning the precious sesame in Europe, a key issue to expand its commercial operation. “As we have officially announced to them, the C919 will not be able to be certified in 2025,” said Florian Guillermet, director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), in an interview with L’Usine Nouvelle in Cologne (Germany), at the organisation’s premises. We should be certifying C919 in the next three to six years.
