China expects to start deliveries of C919 in 2022.

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Deliveries of the Chinese-made C919 narrow-body airliner are expected to begin this year after several delays, despite a tight schedule of regulatory certifications and uncertainties related to U.S. trade bans.

He Dongfeng, president of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), outlined the aircraft’s 2022 delivery schedule at an internal meeting Monday, according to minutes released by the state-owned aircraft manufacturer.

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According to He, the schedule is very tight and there are problems arising from external uncertainties. The C919 has yet to be certified by Chinese aviation regulators, a precondition for its commercial launch, Nikkei Asia reported.

COMAC initially planned to start deliveries of the C919 in 2017, but the schedule has been repeatedly delayed due to technological and supply issues.

The C919, under development since 2008, targets the same market as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, the two best-selling commercial aircraft. The aircraft is designed to carry between 158 and 168 passengers.

The C919 conducted its first test flight in May 2017 with six prototype aircraft operating in different regions of China. Regulatory reviews for its airworthiness certification began in December 2020.

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COMAC has received more than 800 tentative orders for the C919, mostly from domestic airlines or leasing companies. In March 2021, China Eastern Airlines signed a contract to purchase five of these aircraft in the first formal order placed by a global airline.

The airworthiness certification is a complicated task for both the aircraft developer and Chinese regulators, as it is the first of its kind in China, according to Wang Yanan, an expert with the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The overhauls pose a special challenge because of the new technologies and materials used by the aircraft.

A large amount of testing still needs to be done for the C919 to be certified. As of December 2021, the aircraft had completed only 34 certification tests out of 276 planned, according to Yang Zhenmei, an official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The technological standoff between China and the United States is also adding uncertainties for the aircraft. In December 2020, the Trump administration imposed additional licensing requirements on companies, affecting nearly 60 Chinese companies, including two COMAC subsidiaries. The list primarily restricts exports, product transfers and technologies.

Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co. (SAMC), one of the COMAC units included on the list, is the general assembler of the C919. About 60% of the aircraft’s major suppliers are U.S. companies, such as General Electric, Honeywell and Eaton Corp, according to a report by the Center for Strategic & International Studies.