The C919, the first narrow-body airliner China has developed to challenge the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing, has started cold-weather test flights in the far northern Chinese city of Hulunbuir, putting it on schedule for official deliveries to begin next year.
Cold-weather test flights are designed to stress-test an aircraft’s systems and equipment in extremely cold conditions, state-owned news agency China News Service reported on Friday.
The government of Hulunbuir, a city where winter temperatures average minus 25 degrees Celsius, said that it will work with Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC), the maker of the C919, to build facilities for cold-weather tests in the next five years in a bid to promote the development of the local general aviation industry, according to the report.
Currently, the C919, which was launched by COMAC in 2008, is conducting coordinated test flights in multiple regions of China, the report added.
COMAC has so far received more than 800 orders for the C919 from domestic and foreign customers, according to local media reports.
Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com)
Related: China Making Headway on Its First Long-Haul Jetliner: Reports
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