Beijing
CNN
 — 

I’ve flown greater than 1,000,000 miles with dozens of airways world wide – and have misplaced depend of what number of occasions I’ve hopped on an Air China aircraft for the quick journey from Beijing to Shanghai.

In the course of the week, airways schedule greater than 60 flights on a regular basis between the nation’s capital and monetary hub – every method – usually utilizing their largest jets, from the enduring Boeing 747 to the latest Airbus A350.

With loads of widebody choices in its fleet of just about 1,000 planes, Air China deployed a narrowbody for my flight on a latest Thursday morning. But it surely wasn’t simply any narrowbody – it was the flag service’s first, and thus far the one, C919 jetliner.

The C919 is China’s first homegrown mainline passenger aircraft, manufactured by the Shanghai-based state-owned Business Plane Company of China (COMAC). After spending years in improvement and prolonged delays, the twin-engine jet made its maiden industrial voyage with hometown service China Japanese Airways in Could 2023.

Lengthy touted as a possible game-changer in international industrial aviation, the C919 is COMAC’s reply to the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 – two of the world’s best-selling plane sorts.

Regardless of recording greater than 1,000 orders, the C919 appears dogged by skeptics who query its “Chineseness” (with key components corresponding to engines and flight management programs imported from the US and Europe) and its industrial viability given the Airbus-Boeing duopoly available in the market.

For an aviation geek like me, nevertheless, not one of the controversies may dampen my enthusiasm to unlock a brand-new plane sort and assessment this nonetheless uncommon passenger expertise since there are solely a handful of C919s within the air inside mainland China, the one area it’s been licensed to fly thus far.

I confirmed up on the gate at Beijing’s sprawling Capital Worldwide Airport (PEK) an hour earlier than departure time to see the C919 within the flesh for the primary time. From a distance, it may simply be mistaken for an A320 with its extra rounded nostril and curved fuselage (in comparison with the B737). Extra discerning eyes would in all probability discover the C919’s distinctive cockpit home windows and wingtips.

My first impression upon moving into the month-old C919 was that it felt identical to an A320 – with a little bit of lingering new aircraft odor. To its credit score, among the many “Huge Three” state-owned carriers that function the plane sort, Air China opted for probably the most spacious configuration with 158 seats (out of the potential most of 192) – eight in firstclass and 150 in financial system.

On this age of “cattle class” for financial system fliers, any additional legroom counts. I had pre-paid for an emergency exit row seat and was greater than happy with the legroom for each exit rows (19 and 20), which provide more room than even home firstclass. As somebody who’s 180cm (or 5’11”) tall, I may simply stretch my legs all the way in which out with my toes barely touching the seat in entrance of me.

Different points of the inside look extra run-of-the-mill: There are particular person air nozzles for personalized local weather management, and financial system passengers not in exit rows every have a foldable gadget holder (for smartphones and tablets) simply above the tray desk.

The financial system seats themselves – in a typical 3×3 structure – are of the skinny selection more and more well-liked with airways as they cram extra rows into the primary cabin.

However any potential discomfort on this flight was mitigated by the free pillows– I put one behind me for additional padding. Beneath the seats, each three passengers share two sockets that includes each USB-A and USB-C plugs.

For a jetliner with a spread as much as 5,555 kilometers (slightly below 3,500 miles), Air China’s C919 appears to depend on passengers to supply their very own inflight leisure. Whereas every seatback incorporates literature house (with precise inflight magazines) in addition to pouches for private gadgets, there aren’t any particular person screens or WiFi onboard (programming proven on the drop-down screens appeared universally unappealing) – that have to be the place the gadget holder is available in.

I used to be glad to listen to the flight attendant spotlight the plane sort in his pre-takeoff briefing. “In the present day you’re flying with Air China C919 plane, which is the primary massive airliner independently developed by China,” he mentioned, because the jet taxied to the runway.

Air China serves scorching meals in financial system throughout meal hours even for short-haul flights (at present’s flying time: 1 hour 40 minutes). Bottled water was positioned in every seatback pouch earlier than boarding and my omelet – together with yogurt and a chocolate bar – tasted completely advantageous.

I checked out one of many two financial system toilets behind the cabin. It’s shiny (and was clear and well-stocked on this flight), has a coat hook and feels much less cramped than most of the newest variations on the A320 or B737.

With the tops of Shanghai’s tallest skyscrapers rising within the clouds, our aircraft started to descend towards Hongqiao Worldwide Airport (SHA).

Sitting within the window seat subsequent to the engine, I remembered one of many two foremost complaints in regards to the C919 that I’d learn on-line: engine noise. Everybody has totally different tolerance ranges, however I didn’t discover the sound to be a lot louder than that on a typical flight utilizing a Boeing or Airbus narrowbody aircraft.

The opposite criticism apparently was the dearth of house in overhead bins. Though the C919 isn’t going to win the overhead house competitors, everybody on this full flight appeared to have the ability to match of their wheeled carry-on baggage with no drawback.

Following a easy landing in Shanghai some 40 minutes forward of schedule, there was no applause or cheers (which isn’t a Chinese language custom on airplanes anyway). After deplaning, I seen a couple of extra passengers – maybe made conscious by the inflight announcement in regards to the Chinese language-made plane – taking pictures of the C919.

Saving a couple of bumps alongside the way in which, it was a decidedly uneventful journey. Most individuals – together with frequent fliers like me – probably didn’t really feel a lot distinction flying this C919 in comparison with earlier flights on the ever present A320 or B737. So far as my passenger expectation goes, this C919 flight has earned a stable B when it comes to security and luxury.

On the finish of the day, vacationers don’t often select flights primarily based on plane sort – except they really feel there’re compelling causes to take action (as proven not too long ago following a number of incidents involving Boeing jets).

COMAC undoubtedly has quite a bit using on the success of the C919, because the Chinese language authorities tries to improve key industries and scale back reliance on Western expertise. Geopolitics and nationwide satisfaction apart, although, for a passenger plane program to soar, analysts have identified that COMAC must show the C919’s reliability to potential operators in Southeast Asia, Africa and different rising markets – within the absence of fast certification by US and European regulators.

If extra passengers proceed to have “remarkably unremarkable” experiences on the C919, COMAC may have the ability to flip its jetliner from a present horse to the workhorse of airways in China and past.