On the afternoon of May 5, the first China-made large aircraft with independent intellectual property rights, the C919, fulfilled all the test items within its 79-minute flight, marking a successful maiden flight. During the first flight event, CAAC Administrator Feng Zhenglin indicated that the large aircraft made by China belongs to China and the world as well. On the basis of the successful first flight, Chinese civil aviation people will, with a high level of political responsibility and sense of mission, support comprehensive airworthiness certification for China-made large aircraft. At the same time, CAAC will seek international cooperation to facilitate the export of China-made aircraft to the world.

Feng Zhenglin indicated that airworthiness certification was the safety performance “guarantee” and the “passport” to the aviation market for civil airliners. Since the acceptance of the Type Certificate application of C919 in 2010, CAAC has spared no effort to perform airworthiness research by establishing the China Civil Aviation Airworthiness Certification Center, developing and revising 3 airworthiness regulations and more than 30 normative documents which provide a legal framework for airworthiness related work. In the meantime, CAAC has, in accordance with airworthiness standards and environmental protection requirements, formulated in conjunction with Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), 66 certification plans for C919, 1453 validation testing requirements and 4302 compliance documents, which lays a solid foundation for the smooth development of the next phase of work.

Feng Zhenglin highlighted that at present, China-Canada bilateral airworthiness agreement had been successfully concluded; China-America bilateral airworthiness negotiation had achieved positive results; China-EU airworthiness cooperation had been further strengthened. The vigorous international cooperation conducted by CAAC aims to create conditions to promote global presence of large aircraft made in China. With the advancing of airworthiness certification for C919, China’s airworthiness certification capability will be boosted to fully meet the civil aviation industry’s long-term development needs.

Feng Zhenglin noted that the successful first flight of C919 marked the accomplishment of the overall design. From first flight to commercial operation, three tasks including type certification, production certification and operation permit approval remain to be completed. CAAC will earnestly study and implement the important instructions of President Xi Jinping, conscientiously understand and fulfill the unequivocal requirements of Primer Li Keqiang, strictly discharge the functions of airworthiness certification, hold a good control of the aircraft quality, and strive to create conditions for its development and to ensure the safety and reliability of the large aircraft. On the aviation market, CAAC will encourage domestic airlines to use C919, continuously further international airworthiness cooperation, and strongly support COMAC in expanding its business into overseas aviation market, in a bid to have C919 included in the global civil aviation fleet as soon as possible and make it become one of the best-sellers which can stand the test of the market.