CAAC seeks opinions on C919 exemptions

The Civil Aviation Administration of China on Tuesday proposed special conditions and approval exemptions from some airworthiness requirements for the domestically developed C919 aircraft, which just completed its mandatory test flights before seeking certification to operate passenger flights.

The CAAC made its decision based on regulations on certifying civil aviation craft and parts, the design features of the single-aisle C919 passenger jet and information in the application from Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, its manufacturer, it said in a statement.

According to related procedures for issuing special conditions and granting exemptions, the CAAC will collect opinions from the industry and society. The period for collecting opinions will be 15 working days, the regulator said.

The C919 has 158 to 168 seats and a range of 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers. Its competitors include the single-aisle B737 of Boeing and the A320 from Airbus. So far, it has netted 815 intended and confirmed orders from customers at home and abroad.