China’s C919: seat occupancy rate tops 80 per cent, up to 8 more home-grown passenger jets to be delivered in 2023

State-owned aerospace manufacturer said in January that it had received around 1,200 orders for the C919

The C919 had operated 87 commercial flights over 250 hours and served 11,095 passengers, as of July 12, since making its maiden commercial flight in May

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Comac delivered the second C919 to China Eastern Airlines earlier this month. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:30pm, 25 Jul 2023

China’s state-owned aerospace manufacturer aims to deliver between six to eight of its home-grown, narrow-body passenger jet by the end of the year, after commercial operation of the sole C919 started with a passenger seat occupancy rate of 82 per cent since May.

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) delivered the first C919 to China Eastern Airlines in December and it completed its maiden commercial flight in May between Shanghai and Beijing.

The aircraft, which can carry between 158 to 192 passengers and is designed to compete with Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’ A320, has since been operating between its base in Shanghai and Chengdu.

Including its maiden return trip between Shanghai and Beijing, the C919 had operated 87 commercial flights over 250.1 hours and served 11,095 passengers, as of July 12, according to China Eastern Airlines.

If the occupancy rate of a flight exceeds 70 per cent, it means that some people may not be able to buy tickets

Wu Guanghui

Comac said in January that it had received around 1,200 orders for the C919, with its annual production capacity expected to reach over 150 aircraft in the next five years.

“We will try to achieve the originally planned production capacity of 150 aircraft in the short term,” C919 chief designer Wu Guanghui told the 2023 Aerospace (Wuxi) Industry Innovation and Development Conference at the end of last week.

“If the occupancy rate of a flight exceeds 70 per cent, it means that some people may not be able to buy tickets. In fact, it has already been difficult to get a ticket for the C919 sometimes.”

Comac delivered the second C919 to China Eastern Airlines earlier this month, and it is also set to operate on the route between Shanghai and Chengdu, according to CCTV.