China Eastern Airlines has successfully completed an engine replacement on the domestically produced C919 aircraft. An industry expert noted that this achievement marks a key step in enhancing Chinese airlines’ operational and maintenance capabilities for homegrown large aircraft, further advancing the comprehensive commercial deployment of the C919.

China Eastern Airlines recently completed its first engine replacement on the C919, with all test parameters meeting expectations, according to the “Pudong Release” WeChat account under the publicity department of Pudong New Area, Shanghai, on Saturday.

The primary purpose of the engine replacement was to test the feasibility of the C919’s engine replacement protocol in order to enhance the safety of the aircraft. China Eastern Airlines is collaborating with C919 manufacturer, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), to further optimize the engine replacement procedure to improve overall efficiency, according to “Pudong Release.”

The successful engine replacement operation on the C919 marks an important step in boosting operational and maintenance capabilities for Chinese airlines using domestically manufactured large aircraft, Qi Qi, an industry observer, told the Global Times on Saturday.

Since its first commercial flight by China Eastern Airlines in May 2023, the C919 has been steadily advancing toward broader commercial use.

China Eastern Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines all have already conducted commercial operations with the C919, which signifies the start of large-scale development and a new phase of broader operations for the domestically produced aircraft, according to a report of yicai.com in September.

C919's full-cycle and wider commercial deployment is steadily making progress. As the volume of commercial deliveries continues to increase, airlines are also facing rising need for regular maintenance and servicing of the C919 to promote the progress of the commercial operation of C919, Qi said.

Global Times