COMAC C919 & ARJ21 Land In Hong Kong For 1st Time

Summary

China’s domestically developed aircraft, C919 and ARJ21, made their first visit to Hong Kong.
The C919 aircraft is scheduled to perform a flight demonstration over Victoria Harbour on December 16th.
Some commentators believe that the airworthiness standards of C919 are stringent, and the overall level of the aircraft can compete with products from Boeing and Airbus.

On the afternoon of December 12th, China’s domestically manufactured aircraft, C919 (temporary national registration B-001F), and the ARJ21 aircraft (national registration B-3322), successfully arrived at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). At 13:58 today, the ARJ21 aircraft landed first on the southern runway of Hong Kong International Airport. Two minutes later, the C919 aircraft followed and landed.

This marks the first visit of both aircraft types to Hong Kong. Additionally, it is the inaugural arrival of the C919 aircraft in a city outside mainland China.

Upon the landing of the two aircraft, the airport conducted the highest aviation protocol, the water salute, where two fire trucks were positioned on either side, spraying a semicircular water column through which the two aircraft passed.

It is noteworthy that these two aircraft are owned by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). The C919 is one of the six experimental aircraft, and the ARJ21 belongs to the COMAC Express under the COMAC Customer Service Center. This particular aircraft is the second one delivered by COMAC and was initially handed over to Chengdu Airlines in 2016 before being repurchased by COMAC.

Arrangements during the visit

This visit was jointly organized by the Civil Aviation Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Airport Authority Hong Kong. According to the previously announced schedule, on the 13th, Hong Kong officials will hold a formal welcome ceremony for the two aircraft. Following the welcome ceremony, both aircraft will be parked in a designated area at the airport for static displays.

Invited representatives from overseas and local aviation industries, as well as youth groups, regional organizations, and others, will have the opportunity to board and tour the aircraft. Representatives from COMAC will also meet with young individuals to share knowledge about the development of the two aircraft.

On the 16th, with good weather, the C919 aircraft is scheduled to take off from the airport at around 10:30 a.m. It will fly from west to east, entering and crossing the airspace above Victoria Harbour and circling around Hong Kong Island twice. This allows the public to witness the moment when the C919 aircraft soars over Hong Kong for the first time. On the afternoon of the 17th, both aircraft will depart and return to Shanghai.

Airworthiness in Hong Kong?

Deputy Director Cui Xiaofeng of the Civil Aviation Administration of China stated that the domestically produced C919 and ARJ21 aircraft are “prominent representatives of technological innovation in the national civil aviation sector.” Their visit will give fellow Hong Kong residents a more convenient and in-depth understanding of the development of the national civil aviation industry.

Warren Chim, deputy chairman of the Aircraft Division at the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers, explained that the certification procedure for these aircraft entails rigorous testing to ensure compliance with aviation standards. This includes extensive testing, comprising thousands of hours of test flights, emergency assessments, and trials conducted in challenging weather conditions.

According to reporting in RTHK, Chim said that Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department was involved in the research and planning of the C919, and that it had been, “designed to international standards that are even stricter than those of Airbus and Boeing 737.” Chim noted that this cooperation could lay the ground for the aircraft to be certified in Hong Kong in the future.