In order to process the C919 orders halfway, Comac has to produce around 150 aircraft a year. The state-owned company therefore wants to invest billions of yuan in expanding production. And approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is expected to be applied for this year. So far the aircraft has only been certified in China.Â
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Satellite images of the factory in Shanghai confirm that production of the new model is currently running rather slowly. Most of the aircraft leaving the production hangars south of Shanghai airport are of the ARJ21 type, a regional aircraft that has been mass-produced by Comac since 2015. The company has now delivered at least 125 of these. A big plus of this machine: Unlike the Boeing 737Max, there have been no accidents recorded so far.