Image source: topwar.ru
The high-altitude (airport-based) version of the Chinese C919 narrow-body aircraft, designated C919-600, has successfully completed its first test flight at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
The airliner spent 1 hour and 59 minutes in the sky, after which it landed on the same runway, where it was greeted with a traditional water arch. This flight became an important stage in the implementation of the program to create a family of aircraft capable of competing with global giants Boeing and Airbus on all types of routes – from lowland to high-altitude. This is how the Chinese press interprets the tests of this aircraft.
The new version is based on the standard C919 platform, but has a shortened fuselage: its length is reduced from 38.9 to 34 meters, which is achieved by removing six structural frames. The capacity has been reduced from 158-192 seats to 140-160, and the number of portholes has been reduced from 42 to 34. At the same time, the wing and power plant remained unchanged: the aircraft is equipped with two LEAP-1C turbofan engines, which underwent additional thrust calibration to operate in a thin atmosphere.
To improve safety in high-altitude conditions, engineers have strengthened the chassis and braking system, as well as upgraded the cabin's air conditioning and pressurization system. Oxygen equipment now provides the crew and passengers with an autonomous supply of air for 60 minutes, which is four times more than the standard 15 minutes required by the regulations. The navigation system is complemented by a high-precision RNP system working in conjunction with the Chinese Baidu satellite system, which allows landing on winding trajectories even in mountain gorges and with limited visibility.
The development was carried out in close cooperation with Tibet Airlines, which operates more than half of its flights at high-altitude airfields in Tibet and Sichuan Province. Back in 2023, a framework memorandum was signed on the joint creation of a high-altitude modification, and a year later, at the Singapore Air show, the parties signed a full-fledged contract for the supply of 40 such machines. Now the C919-600 will have to undergo a long series of certification tests in real conditions – it will be sent to airports in Qinghai, Tibet and other regions located at an altitude of more than 2,400 meters above sea level to check the adaptation of all systems to pressure drops, low temperatures and gusty winds. According to an expert from Shanghai Tian Lingchuan University, the creation of a specialized modification not only expands the market niche of the basic model, but also allows to remove bottlenecks on China's western domestic routes, where there is still an acute shortage of modern jetliners adapted to mountainous conditions.
In parallel with the high-altitude version, the Chinese aircraft manufacturing company Comac is also working on an extended version of the C919-800, which will be designed for 240 seats and a range of about 5,556 kilometers. Thus, the entire C919 family will cover the capacity range from 130 to 240 seats, directly competing with the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo subfamilies.
To date, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China, 41 standard production aircraft have already been delivered to customers. Commercial operation of the basic version began in May 2023, and by now these airliners have transported more than 5 million passengers, serving 23 airports in China. Last year, the C919 launched regular flights to Hong Kong, and from August 12, 2026, it is scheduled to make its debut on the Beijing –Ulaanbaatar international route, which will be the first Chinese narrow-body aircraft to leave the country on a regular basis.
