Photo taken on July 18, 2022 shows a C919 jet, China's first homegrown large jetliner, in Pucheng County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The C919, China's first homegrown large jetliner, has obtained the type certificate, a milestone step on its journey to market operation. Photo:Xinhua

Seven leasing companies signed orders to buy 300 new C919 planes and 30 ARJ21 aircraft with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) on Tuesday at the ongoing Airshow China 2022 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, COMAC told the Global Times.

The leasing companies include China Development Bank Leasing, ICBC Leasing, CMB Financial Leasing, BOCOM Leasing, CCB Financial Leasing, SPDB Financial Leasing and Jiangsu Financial Leasing, with the top five companies each buying 50 C919 planes, according to media reports. 

The order came after China's domestically developed C919 passenger jet gained a type certificate from China's civil aviation regulator at the end of September, with the first plane expected to be delivered at the end of 2022.

Winning the certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China indicates that the C919's design meets airworthiness standards and environmental requirements, and also marks a milestone in China's ability to conduct airworthiness certification of large airliners in line with internationally accepted standards.

The C919 is fitted with 158-168 seats and has a range of 4,075-5,555 kilometers, the same capacity as the popular Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 planes.

In March 2021, COMAC signed a purchase contract with China Eastern Airlines for five planes. The new planes will be used on routes from Shanghai to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu, according to the airline.

In May 2022, the first C919 to be delivered to China Eastern Airlines with registration number B-001J completed its maiden test flight in Shanghai.

The C919 earlier had received 28 customers with orders totaling 815 planes.

China's aviation market will add 9,284 jetliners over the next two decades, according to a report released by COMAC on Tuesday. By 2041, China's national fleet will reach 10,007 planes, accounting for 21.1 percent of the global passenger aircraft fleet. The Chinese aviation market will become the largest single aviation market in the world, the report said. 

The report said that despite still facing severe challenges, the demand for air travel continues to rebound as global economy shows some signs of recovery, highlighting the resilience of the aviation industry.

Global Times