cnn reporter: i took china’s c919
2024-10-05
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as my country's first self-developed mainline jet aircraft in accordance with internationally accepted airworthiness standards and with independent intellectual property rights, the c919 has greatly demonstrated china's continued progress in the aviation field. it uses advanced composite materials in production and structural design, reducing the weight of the aircraft and improving fuel efficiency. it also introduces high-level digital control and information management modules into the avionics system. since it officially entered the civil aviation market in may last year, every flight of the c919 has attracted global attention.
during this year’s national day, steven jiang, cnn’s china correspondent, wrote an article about his experience and feelings of taking the c919 from beijing capital international airport to shanghai hongqiao airport.
“i have flown on dozens of airlines around the world, flown more than 1 million miles (approximately 1.6 million kilometers), and have lost count of the number of short trips from beijing to shanghai on air china. " steven wrote in the article, "on the morning of a recent thursday (october 3), i took air china c919 and flew to shanghai again. "
steven mentioned in the article that the c919 is china’s first domestically produced large passenger aircraft, manufactured by the commercial aircraft corporation of china (comac). after years of development and lengthy testing, the c919 made its first commercial flight in may 2023. it could be a game-changer for global commercial aviation.
"i arrived at the boarding gate of beijing capital international airport one hour early and saw the c919 with my own eyes for the first time. from a distance, it could easily be mistaken for an a320, with its rounder nose and more curved fuselage ( compared with the b737). if you look closely, you can also see the distinctive cockpit windows and wing tips of the c919. "when i stepped into the c919 cabin, my first impression was that it has there is a slight lingering smell of new aircraft. to its credit, air china has chosen the most spacious configuration of the three major airlines operating this aircraft, with 158 seats - 8 in first class and 8 in economy class. 150 seats.”
the interior of the c919 cabin shot by steven (video screenshot) cnn
steven said any extra legroom was important in the cramped economy class seats. "i booked a seat in the emergency exit row and i'm very happy with the legroom, which is even more than domestic (us) first class. as a 180cm tall person, i can easily stretch my legs legs."
there is a foldable device holder above the tray table for c919 economy class passengers to place smartphones and tablets. under the seat, every three passengers share two usb-a and usb-c ports. "i was very happy to hear the flight attendant emphasize the aircraft model in the announcement before the plane took off. 'today you are flying on air china's c919 aircraft, which is the first large passenger aircraft independently developed by china.'" steve "i had pillow cushions placed on my seat to alleviate any potential discomfort during this flight," wen wrote in the article.
steven said that even on short-haul flights (today’s flight time is 1 hour and 40 minutes), air china’s economy class will provide hot meals during meal times. "my meal consisted of an omelet, yogurt and chocolate bar, which was delicious. plus, there was bottled water in a bag on the back of each seat."
c919 economy class meals photographed by steven cnn
steven also experienced the c919 restroom. he said in the article, "i experienced one of the two restrooms located at the back of the cabin. it was bright and clean. there was a clothes hook inside, and it didn't feel as cramped as the restrooms on the a320 or b737."
"as the tops of shanghai's skyscrapers appeared in the clouds, our plane began its descent toward hongqiao international airport. sitting in the window seat closer to the engines, i was reminded of the two main complaints i'd seen online about the c919 . one is the engine noise. everyone's tolerance for noise is different, but i don't think this aircraft is noisier than a boeing or airbus narrow body aircraft. another complaint on the internet is the lack of overhead luggage space. observe that every passenger on the entire flight can easily fit their carry-on suitcase into it," steven wrote in the article.
at the end of the article, steven said that china is reducing its dependence on western technology. in the future, the c919 may become the main aircraft model for chinese and even global airlines.
source | observer network
