I have flown more than a million miles with dozens of airlines around the world – and have lost count of how many times I’ve hopped on an Air China plane for the short trip from Beijing to Shanghai.
During the week, airlines schedule more than 60 flights everyday between the country’s capital and financial hub – each way – often using their biggest jets, from the iconic Boeing 747 to the newest Airbus A350.
With plenty of widebody options in its fleet of almost 1,000 planes, Air China deployed a narrowbody for my flight on a recent Thursday morning. But it wasn’t just any narrowbody – it was the flag carrier’s first, and so far the only, C919 jetliner.
The C919 is China’s first homegrown mainline passenger plane, manufactured by the Shanghai-based state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). After spending years in development and lengthy delays, the twin-engine jet made its maiden commercial voyage with hometown carrier China Eastern Airlines in May 2023.
Long touted as a potential game-changer in global commercial aviation, the C919 is COMAC’s answer to the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 – two of the world’s best-selling aircraft types.
Despite recording more than 1,000 orders, the C919 seems dogged by skeptics who question its “Chineseness” (with key parts such as engines and flight control systems imported from the US and Europe) and its commercial viability given the Airbus-Boeing duopoly in the market.
For an aviation geek like me, however, none of the controversies could dampen my enthusiasm to unlock a brand-new aircraft type and review this still rare passenger experience since there are only a handful of C919s in the air within mainland China, the only region it’s been certified to fly to date.
I showed up at the gate at Beijing’s sprawling Capital International Airport (PEK) an hour before departure time to see the C919 in the flesh for the first time. From a distance, it could easily be mistaken for an A320 with its more rounded nose and curved fuselage (compared to the B737). More discerning eyes would probably notice the C919’s distinctive cockpit windows and wingtips.
My first impression upon stepping into the month-old C919 was that it felt just like an A320 – with a bit of lingering new plane smell. To its credit, among the “Big Three” state-owned carriers that operate the aircraft type, Air China opted for the most spacious configuration with 158 seats (out of the possible maximum of 192) – eight in first class and 150 in economy.
In this age of “cattle class” for economy fliers, any extra legroom counts. I had pre-paid for an emergency exit row seat and was more than pleased with the legroom for both exit rows (19 and 20), which offer more space than even domestic first class. As someone who is 180cm (or 5’11”) tall, I could easily stretch my legs all the way out with my feet barely touching the seat in front of me.
Other aspects of the interior look more run-of-the-mill: There are individual air nozzles for customized climate control, and economy passengers not in exit rows each have a foldable device holder (for smartphones and tablets) just above the tray table.
The economy seats themselves – in a typical 3x3 layout – are of the thin variety increasingly popular with airlines as they cram more rows into the main cabin.
But any potential discomfort on this flight was mitigated by the free pillows – I put one behind me for extra padding. Beneath the seats, every three passengers share two sockets featuring both USB-A and USB-C plugs.
For a jetliner with a range up to 5,555 kilometers (just under 3,500 miles), Air China’s C919 seems to count on passengers to provide their own inflight entertainment. While each seatback contains literature space (with actual inflight magazines) as well as pouches for personal items, there are no individual screens or WiFi onboard (programming shown on the drop-down screens seemed universally unappealing) – that must be where the device holder comes in.
I was happy to hear the flight attendant highlight the aircraft type in his pre-takeoff briefing. “Today you’re flying with Air China C919 aircraft, which is the first large airliner independently developed by China,” he said, as the jet taxied to the runway.
Air China serves hot meals in economy during meal hours even for short-haul flights (today’s flying time: 1 hour 40 minutes). Bottled water was placed in each seatback pouch before boarding and my omelet – along with yogurt and a chocolate bar – tasted totally fine.
I checked out one of the two economy lavatories in the back of the cabin. It’s bright (and was clean and well-stocked on this flight), has a coat hook and feels less cramped than many of the latest versions on the A320 or B737.
With the tops of Shanghai’s tallest skyscrapers emerging in the clouds, our plane began to descend toward Hongqiao International Airport (SHA).
Sitting in the window seat next to the engine, I remembered one of the two main complaints about the C919 that I’d read online: engine noise. Everyone has different tolerance levels, but I didn’t find the sound to be much louder than that on a typical flight using a Boeing or Airbus narrowbody plane.
The other complaint apparently was the lack of space in overhead bins. Even though the C919 isn’t going to win the overhead space competition, everyone on this full flight seemed to be able to fit in their wheeled carry-on luggage with no problem.
Following a smooth touchdown in Shanghai some 40 minutes ahead of schedule, there was no applause or cheers (which is never a Chinese tradition on airplanes anyway). After deplaning, I noticed a few more passengers – perhaps made aware by the inflight announcement about the Chinese-made aircraft – taking photos of the C919.
Saving a few bumps along the way, it was a decidedly uneventful journey. Most people – including frequent fliers like me – likely didn’t feel much difference flying this C919 compared to previous flights on the ubiquitous A320 or B737. As far as my passenger expectation goes, this C919 flight has earned a solid B in terms of safety and comfort.
At the end of the day, travelers don’t usually choose flights based on aircraft type – unless they feel there’re compelling reasons to do so (as shown recently following several incidents involving Boeing jets).
COMAC undoubtedly has a lot riding on the success of the C919, as the Chinese government tries to upgrade key industries and reduce reliance on Western technology. Geopolitics and national pride aside, though, for a passenger aircraft program to soar, analysts have pointed out that COMAC needs to prove the C919’s reliability to potential operators in Southeast Asia, Africa and other emerging markets – in the absence of quick certification by US and European regulators.
If more passengers continue to have “remarkably unremarkable” experiences on the C919, COMAC may just be able to turn its jetliner from a show horse to the workhorse of airlines in China and beyond.
