Why Comac hasn’t been flying everywhere
Despite its big ambitions, COMAC faces several major challenges.
First, it has limited international certification. And this is one of the most important things in aviation — and it affects safety, prices, routes and even which planes you end up flying on.
The C919 has only been certified by Chinese regulators so far. It still lacks certification from top Western authorities, such as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), meaning most foreign airlines cannot operate it in their home countries.
European regulators say the approval process could take three to six years, even if Comac…