Air China's C919 (left) and C909 aircraft are pictured in the same photo at Yan'an airport on June 24, 2026. (Photo: Comac Facebook account)
China's narrowbody C919 model is still on Malaysia Airlines' radar, but Western certification remains the "preferred milestone" before consideration, according to a top executive, who added opportunities could present themselves in 2035 or beyond.In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Bryan Foong, chief executive officer of airline business at Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), expressed optimism that the C919, assembled by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), would eventually receive a crucial safety endorsement from the European regulator.
"I have no doubt that Comac will eventually receive European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification - and hopefully with the [US] Federal Aviation Administration as well," Foong said. "We need the certification to be ready and be accepted by Malaysia and other countries that we fly to."
He explained that expectations for the C919's certification by Western aviation regulators would grow in tandem with China's aviation cooperation and economic ties with Malaysia, and more broadly, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
