Faced with potential engine supply risks, China has already prepared its "Chinese heart" - the Yangtze River 1000 engine is ready to take off. At the same time, the European Aviation Safety Agency has launched the C919 test flight evaluation in Shanghai, paving the way for it to fly globally.

In the cold winter of Shanghai, the final assembly workshop of COMAC is bustling with heat. The C919 fuselage on the production line is shining with silver, and workers are proceeding with the final stage of assembly in an orderly manner. Not far away, the evaluation team of the European Aviation Safety Agency has just completed a round of test flight data analysis and written a comment on the record sheet stating 'good performance and safety reliability'.

The pace of this production line is quietly accelerating. According to the latest industry data, COMAC is steadily increasing its production and delivery capabilities for the C919, with a target of delivering no less than 28 aircraft annually by 2026. Converted, almost every 10 to 15 days, a brand new C919 goes offline from here and flies into the blue sky.

From 'Steady Start' to 'Acceleration Run'

Looking back at 2025, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) delivered approximately 15 C919s, with China Eastern Airlines receiving 4, Air China receiving 6, and China Southern Airlines receiving 5. Compared to the delivery of 12 aircraft in 2024, although there has been an increase, there is still a gap from the more optimistic expectation of 75 aircraft at the beginning of the year.

As long as the engines manufactured in the West can continue to be supplied, the final assembly and delivery speed of C919 will only get faster and faster. ”A source close to the project revealed one of the key factors for speeding up. At present, the C919 uses the LEAP-1C engine produced by the French American joint venture CFM International, which is the "heart" of current aircraft operations.

However, the supply of this' heart 'is not without worries. Industry experts bluntly state that in the C919 project, there is still a certain dependence on American technology for the engine, and the potential external ban risk may indeed have an impact. But our toolbox is not without means of response and countermeasure, "the expert emphasized." Not using it easily does not mean we are unprepared

The independently developed 'Chinese Heart'

This confidence is partly derived from the already laid out 'Plan B'. In fact, it is no secret that the C919 is equipped with domestically produced engines. The CJ-1000 engine, developed by AVIC Commercial Aero Engine Co., Ltd., is an advanced high thrust, high bypass ratio turbofan engine that benchmarks the LEAP-1 series.

The Changjiang 1000 is an option, but it will take some time for it to be officially put into use on the C919. ”Industry insiders pointed out. The continuous development and testing of this' Chinese Heart 'provides a crucial insurance for the supply chain security of Chinese large aircraft, ensuring that the soaring of C919 will not be stalled due to external factors.

Open the 'passport' to the global market

In addition to expanding production capacity and ensuring core safety, if C919 wants to truly compete with Boeing and Airbus, it must also obtain the "passport" of the global market - international airworthiness certification. COMAC is continuously advancing this critical process.

At present, the expert team of the European Aviation Safety Agency has entered Shanghai to carry out intensive test flight evaluation work for the C919. The initial feedback is positive, although there are some initial issues that need to be fine tuned, EASA's evaluation has given the market confidence. This is an indispensable step for the C919 to enter the European and even global markets, and its success or failure directly affects the international commercial prospects of this domestically produced large aircraft.

From the pursuit of excellence on the production line, to the proactive planning of the power core, and to the steady progress of airworthiness certification, the story of C919 is a microcosm of China's high-end manufacturing industry overcoming difficulties and going global. In 2026, perhaps this story will usher in a new chapter of climax.Editor/Yang Meiling