China’s Comac doubles down on safety as C919 roll-out enters ‘critical stage’

China’s leading aircraft manufacturer has pledged to double down on safety as it seeks to ramp up production of its new C919 passenger jet amid a turbulent period for the global aviation industry marked by crashes and supply-chain issues.

Top executives from the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) stressed that safety must remain the company’s overriding priority during a meeting to lay out its plans for the year ahead on Thursday.

This year is set to be a crucial period for Comac as it seeks to speed up production of the C919, pitch the jet to overseas clients, and secure approvals from Western regulators.

“The C919 is entering a critical stage of large-scale production and deployment, when the global aviation industry is faced with a severe, complex safety situation,” Comac chairman He Dongfeng was quoted as saying in a news report on Comac’s website.

“We are also faced with challenges including gaps in our support for airline customers, higher requirements as production expands, and deficiencies in our team capacity building.”