Pilots from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have conducted test flights of the Chinese narrowbody passenger aircraft COMAC C919 in Shanghai, marking an important but still early step in the lengthy process of its certification to Western regulatory standards. These activities form part of efforts by the Chinese manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) to open international markets to its first aircraft in this category and reduce reliance on domestic orders.
According to the South China Morning Post, the test flights are embedded in a broader process through which COMAC is seeking to convince Western regulators of the safety and reliability of the C919, an aircraft conceived as China’s answer to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. EASA confirmed to Reuters that so-called validation activities had been carried out, including flight testing, officially confirming for the first time the direct involvement of the European regulator in evaluating the aircraft under real operational conditions.
According to a source close to the project cited by the South China Morning Post, experienced foreign pilots employed in China also took part in demonstrating the reliability of the C919. The same source claims that EASA representatives assessed the aircraft as fundamentally safe and technically sound, but that certain initial issues were identified during testing which require further adjustments. Such technical challenges are common in the early stages of certification processes for new aircraft types, particularly when a completely new manufacturer is entering the global market.
Although the C919 is already in regular commercial service on domestic Chinese routes, the absence of certification from Western regulators continues to severely limit its export potential. COMAC first submitted its application for EASA certification back in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic significantly slowed the entire process, which was only reactivated in 2023.
EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet has previously stated that, if the process proceeds successfully, certification of the C919 could take between three and six years. In an interview with Skift in March 2025, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said that his airline would consider purchasing the C919 if the price were sufficiently competitive, namely ten to twenty percent lower than comparable Airbus aircraft.
The current test flights in Shanghai indicate that COMAC and the Chinese authorities are intensifying efforts to secure international regulatory legitimacy for the C919.
