Latest news with #C919
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's aviation ambitions: Experts discuss the C919's global aspirations and hurdles
The C919, China's first indigenous narrowbody jet, embodies Beijing's progress in pursuing technology self-sufficiency and holds the potential to reshape the global aviation market, but it faces a host of difficulties in challenging established giants Boeing and Airbus. In the latest China Future Tech webinar, Jason Li Hanming, a US-based aviation analyst, along with SCMP reporters Frank Chen, William Zheng and moderator Ralph Jennings, discussed questions surrounding the home-grown Chinese passenger jet as the US global trade war adds to its challenges. Is the Comac C919 true innovation or is it based on existing models made by Airbus or Boeing? Comac had to be a system integrator in order to produce a commercially viable, practicable and reliable aircraft, said Li. Figuring out how to combine everything together is the first step that will allow more space for the country to put innovation into their aircraft, he said. Can China grow its large aircraft sector as fast as it did with the high-speed railway system? China's high-speed railway was a 'different story', according to Li. For one, China Railway, as the sole decision maker, could push things forward quickly, especially as the country was building infrastructure from scratch. In aerospace, China is moving 'inside a prebuilt system' involving many different stakeholders, he said. But China's political and economic system, which allows the country to mobilise resources towards a so-called national strategy, remains the same for building aircraft, and Beijing would help Comac to coordinate in areas such as talents and suppliers, said Zheng. A C919 passenger plane performs a flight at the Singapore Air Show, February 20, 2024. Photo: Xinhua Can Comac evade supply chain disruptions in the US-led global trade war? The trade war does create uncertainties for Comac in terms of the delivery and price of components, and the future remains unclear amid ongoing negotiations between China and the US, Li said. While Comac is able to source certain parts domestically, such as jet engines made by the Aero Engine Corporation of China, it is less fuel efficient than its Western counterparts.
Reuters
25-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Breakingviews - Made-in-China planes face bumpy flight abroad
HONG KONG, June 25 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chinese factories may be making most of the world's ships and electric cars, but one thing remains out of reach for them: passenger planes. State-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, or Comac, wants to sell its C919 single-aisle jet to international airlines but it is better placed to chip away at the dominance of Western rivals Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab and Airbus ( opens new tab in the People's Republic. Challenging the duopoly is slow work. Comac's long-delayed C919 - meant to compete with the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 - only completed its first commercial flight in 2023. The Chinese company previously said it was aiming for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to certify the plane this year - a crucial endorsement if Comac wants to sell in other markets. To date, the manufacturer has built, opens new tab less than two dozen C919s, and it is hoping to ramp up annual production to 200 by 2029. Still, that would be less than a third of Airbus' output last year. Moreover, the process of winning European certifications can take up to six years. Any attempt by Beijing to use next month's summit celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations between the EU and the People's Republic to speed things up looks like it will be a hard sell even if President Xi Jinping's administration purchases Airbus planes as a sweetener. The bloc is already reeling from a surge of overall Chinese exports and the two sides have a long list of thorny trade issues to tackle spanning electric vehicles, French cognac and rare earths. There are other hurdles to Comac's journey West. The company depends on imported components, including the C919's engine, for instance. That makes it vulnerable to U.S. President Donald Trump's export controls. Switching to domestic suppliers may also push back the EU certification process. At least Comac has its home market, where the country's top airlines are all state-backed. In its Made in China 2025 policy document unveiled roughly a decade ago, the government laid out goals including having local manufacturers account for 10% of the domestic aircraft market by 2025 and even higher percentages for related equipment and components. By 2044, China's domestic travel market will be the world's largest by traffic flow, Boeing estimated, opens new tabthis month, and the country's commercial fleet will more than double to 9,755, equivalent to 19% of the total. That should help make up for what will be a fraught journey overseas.
The Hill
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Hill
NTSB recommends quick modifications to 737 Max engines
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Wednesday recommended that Boeing modify the engines on 737 Max planes due a safety problem caused by bird strikes. The issue came to light during two 2023 flights in Havana, Cuba and New Orleans when smoke filled the cockpit or cabin after a strike, according to the Associated Press. Both Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned pilots about the issue, which the NTSB said is caused by a safety feature known as a load reduction device. 'This is a case of an unintended consequence of a new and innovative safety idea where if the fan gets unbalanced that this is a way to alleviate the load and thereby doing less damage to the engine, the engine pylon, all of that,' aviation safety expert John Coxtold the AP. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's C919 planes and Airbus A320neo planes have similar reactions. The engine's manufacturer, CFM International, said the company is working on a software update to mitigate the issue in a joint venture with GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engine. CFM said the current model is 'aligned with the NTSB's recommendations and the work is already underway, in close partnership with our airframers, to enhance the capability of this important system,' per AP. Boeing told The Hill on Friday that they 'support' the NTSB recommendation. The FAA said 'the engine manufacturer develops a permanent mitigation, we will require operators to implement it within an appropriate timeframe,' according to AP. Several 737 pilots told the outlet they were unaware of previous incidents caused by the load reduction device after bird strikes.
19-06-2025
- Automotive
NTSB urges quick fix on Boeing plane engines to prevent smoke from filling cabin after a bird strike
Safety experts recommended Wednesday that the engines on Boeing's troubled 737 Max airplanes be modified quickly to prevent smoke from filling the cockpit or cabin after a safety feature is activated following a bird strike. The problem detailed by the National Transportation Safety Board emerged after two bird strikes involving Southwest Airlines planes in 2023 — one in Havana, Cuba, and another in New Orleans. The Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing already warned airlines and pilots about the problem and the engine maker has been working on a fix. The NTSB said that the engines CFM International makes for the Boeing plane can inadvertently release oil into the hot engine when the safety feature, called a load reduction device, is activated after a bird strike or similar engine issue. The resulting smoke feeds directly into either the cockpit or passenger cabin depending on which engine was struck. Similar engine models with the same safety feature are also used on Airbus A320neo planes and C919 planes made by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. The NTSB urged European and Chinese aviation safety regulators to evaluate those engine models to determine if they could also be susceptible to the smoke problem. The new safety device that CFM added to its engines solved one problem by limiting damage when an engine starts to come apart, but created a new problem by releasing the oil that burns and generates smoke. 'This is a case of an unintended consequence of a new and innovative safety idea where if the fan gets unbalanced that this is a way to alleviate the load and thereby doing less damage to the engine, the engine pylon, all of that,' said aviation safety expert John Cox, who is CEO of the Safety Operating Systems consulting firm. CFM said in a statement that it is 'aligned with the NTSB's recommendations and the work is already underway, in close partnership with our airframers, to enhance the capability of this important system.' The company, which is a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, confirmed it is working on a software update for the 737 Max's engines and said it is evaluating similar engine models. Boeing said it is working with CFM on the update and the planemaker supports NTSB's recommendations. Boeing also updated some of the checklists pilots rely on to help them take appropriate actions. The NTSB investigated a December 2023 incident in which a Southwest Airlines plane struck a bird while taking off from New Orleans and had to land quickly after thick smoke filled the cockpit — even making it hard for the pilot to see the instrument panel or his copilot. In an incident nine months earlier involving another Southwest 737 Max, smoke filled the cabin after a bird strike after takeoff in Havana. Air from the left engine on a 737 Max flows directly into the cockpit while air from the right engine flows into the passenger cabin. While these incidents were both bird strikes, the NTSB said this could happen in certain other circumstances. The FAA said in a statement that it agrees with the NTSB recommendations and when 'the engine manufacturer develops a permanent mitigation, we will require operators to implement it within an appropriate timeframe.' Pilots can act to limit smoke in the plane by manually cutting off airflow from the engines, but smoke can quickly start to fill the cabin within a few seconds. The engine manufacturer is working on a software update that should do that automatically, but that's not expected to be ready until sometime in the first quarter of next year. The NTSB said in its report that several pilots who fly Boeing 737s told investigators they weren't aware of these incidents despite the efforts Boeing and the FAA have made. The NTSB said 'it is critical to ensure that pilots who fly airplanes equipped with CFM LEAP-1B engines are fully aware of the potential for smoke in the cockpit.' Airbus didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. A Southwest spokesperson said the airline has been in close contact with the FAA, Boeing and the engine maker since the incidents and notified its pilots after they happened. The spokesperson said the airline continues to address the issue through its training and safety management systems. The Boeing 737 Max planes have been the focus since they were involved in both incidents, and there has been a history of other problems with that plane. The Max version of Boeing's bestselling 737 airplane has been the source of persistent troubles for Boeing after two of the jets crashed. The crashes, one in Indonesia in 2018 and another in Ethiopia in 2019, killed 346 people. The problem in those crashes stemmed from a sensor providing faulty readings that pushed the nose down, leaving pilots unable to regain control. After the second crash, Max jets were grounded worldwide until the company redesigned the system. Last month, the Justice Department reached a deal to allow Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading U.S. regulators about the Max before the two crashes. Worries about the plane flared up again after a door plug blew off a Max operated by Alaska Airlines, leading regulators to cap Boeing's production at 38 jets per month. The NTSB plans to meet next Tuesday to discuss what investigators found about that incident.
San Francisco Chronicle
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
NTSB urges quick fix on Boeing plane engines to prevent smoke from filling cabin after a bird strike
Safety experts recommended Wednesday that the engines on Boeing's troubled 737 Max airplanes be modified quickly to prevent smoke from filling the cockpit or cabin after a safety feature is activated following a bird strike. The problem detailed by the National Transportation Safety Board emerged after two bird strikes involving Southwest Airlines planes in 2023 — one in Havana, Cuba, and another in New Orleans. The Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing already warned airlines and pilots about the problem and the engine maker has been working on a fix. The NTSB said that the engines CFM International makes for the Boeing plane can inadvertently release oil into the hot engine when the safety feature, called a load reduction device, is activated after a bird strike or similar engine issue. The resulting smoke feeds directly into either the cockpit or passenger cabin depending on which engine was struck. Similar engine models with the same safety feature are also used on Airbus A320neo planes and C919 planes made by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. The NTSB urged European and Chinese aviation safety regulators to evaluate those engine models to determine if they could also be susceptible to the smoke problem. Safety device solved one problem but created another The new safety device that CFM added to its engines solved one problem by limiting damage when an engine starts to come apart, but created a new problem by releasing the oil that burns and generates smoke. 'This is a case of an unintended consequence of a new and innovative safety idea where if the fan gets unbalanced that this is a way to alleviate the load and thereby doing less damage to the engine, the engine pylon, all of that,' said aviation safety expert John Cox, who is CEO of the Safety Operating Systems consulting firm. CFM said in a statement that it is 'aligned with the NTSB's recommendations and the work is already underway, in close partnership with our airframers, to enhance the capability of this important system.' The company, which is a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, confirmed it is working on a software update for the 737 Max's engines and said it is evaluating similar engine models. Boeing said it is working with CFM on the update and the planemaker supports NTSB's recommendations. Boeing also updated some of the checklists pilots rely on to help them take appropriate actions. The NTSB investigated a December 2023 incident in which a Southwest Airlines plane struck a bird while taking off from New Orleans and had to land quickly after thick smoke filled the cockpit — even making it hard for the pilot to see the instrument panel or his copilot. In an incident nine months earlier involving another Southwest 737 Max, smoke filled the cabin after a bird strike after takeoff in Havana. Air from the left engine on a 737 Max flows directly into the cockpit while air from the right engine flows into the passenger cabin. FAA says it will require airlines to implement a permanent fix when it's available While these incidents were both bird strikes, the NTSB said this could happen in certain other circumstances. The FAA said in a statement that it agrees with the NTSB recommendations and when 'the engine manufacturer develops a permanent mitigation, we will require operators to implement it within an appropriate timeframe.' Pilots can act to limit smoke in the plane by manually cutting off airflow from the engines, but smoke can quickly start to fill the cabin within a few seconds. The engine manufacturer is working on a software update that should do that automatically, but that's not expected to be ready until sometime in the first quarter of next year. The NTSB said in its report that several pilots who fly Boeing 737s told investigators they weren't aware of these incidents despite the efforts Boeing and the FAA have made. The NTSB said 'it is critical to ensure that pilots who fly airplanes equipped with CFM LEAP-1B engines are fully aware of the potential for smoke in the cockpit.' Airbus didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. A Southwest spokesperson said the airline has been in close contact with the FAA, Boeing and the engine maker since the incidents and notified its pilots after they happened. The spokesperson said the airline continues to address the issue through its training and safety management systems. Persistent troubles for the 737 Max The Boeing 737 Max planes have been the focus since they were involved in both incidents, and there has been a history of other problems with that plane. The Max version of Boeing's bestselling 737 airplane has been the source of persistent troubles for Boeing after two of the jets crashed. The crashes, one in Indonesia in 2018 and another in Ethiopia in 2019, killed 346 people. The problem in those crashes stemmed from a sensor providing faulty readings that pushed the nose down, leaving pilots unable to regain control. After the second crash, Max jets were grounded worldwide until the company redesigned the system. Last month, the Justice Department reached a deal to allow Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading U.S. regulators about the Max before the two crashes. Worries about the plane flared up again after a door plug blew off a Max operated by Alaska Airlines, leading regulators to cap Boeing's production at 38 jets per month. The NTSB plans to meet next Tuesday to discuss what investigators found about that incident.
