SHANGHAI: China’s domestically developed C919 passenger jet is likely to make its third test flight within days or in up to two weeks, a senior Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd. (COMAC) executive told reporters on Friday.
The narrow-body C919, which will compete with Boeing Co’s 737 and the Airbus SE A320, completed its second test flight on Thursday, almost five months after its maiden flight earlier this year in May.
Shi Jianzhong, COMAC Vice President, said a number of “issues” relating to the plane’s technology and its engine had led to the lengthy gap between the C919’s first and second flight.
“We were being cautious,” he said, speaking at an event to announce the naming of a separate wide-body jet being developed by COMAC and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), which will be called the CR929.
“We expect future test flights to be very close together,” he said, adding that the next flight could be “a few days or one to two weeks” away.
The almost five month-gap between the C919’s first and second flight was far longer than that of other planes, such as the Airbus A350 whose gap was five days.
On the CR929, UAC said in a statement that the team had already decided on the plane’s family concept and its preliminary characteristics. Shi said that the plane was in the second, design-focused, stage of its development.
The two companies’ joint venture, which was set up in May, will be called China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Corporation (CRAIC), they said.
China’s C919 passenger jet could do 3rd test flight within days — COMAC exec
China’s C919 passenger jet could do 3rd test flight within days — COMAC exec
Emerging markets driving global growth despite rising risks: Saudi finance minister
RIYADH: Emerging markets now account for a growing share of global output and are driving the bulk of world economic expansion, Saudi Arabia’s finance minister said, even as those economies grapple with rising debt and mounting geopolitical risks.
Speaking at the opening of the annual AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies on Feb. 8, Mohammed Al-Jadaan said the role of emerging and developing nations in the global economy has more than doubled since 2000, underscoring a structural shift in growth away from advanced economies.
The meeting comes as policymakers in developing markets try to keep growth on track while controlling inflation, managing capital flows and repairing public finances after years of heavy borrowing. Saudi Arabia has positioned the forum as a platform to coordinate policy responses and strengthen the voice of emerging economies in global financial discussions.
“This conference takes place at a moment of profound transition in the global economy. Emerging markets and developing economies now account for nearly 60 percent of the global gross domestic product in purchasing power terms and 70 percent of global growth,” Al-Jadaan said.
He added: “Today, the 10 emerging economies and the G20 alone account for more than half of the world’s growth. Yet, emerging markets face a more complex and fragmented environment, elevated debt levels, slower trade growth and increasing exposure to geopolitical shocks.”
Launched in 2025, the conference this year brings together economic decision-makers, finance ministers, central bank governors, leaders of international financial institutions, and a select group of experts and specialists from around the world.
