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Ralph Jennings

China’s civil aviation authority has floated a regulatory change that would allow its home-grown passenger jet, the C919, to use narrow runways typically found in smaller airports, a move that could help the plane expand its presence at home and break into the Southeast Asian market.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China announced on Friday that it had set “special conditions” for the C919 to use narrow runways based on the jet’s design features, releasing a draft proposal for a 10-working-day public comment period.
The C919 – made by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) – was originally designed to be used on runways at least 45 metres (148 feet) across, which are standard in major airports.
The newly proposed plan is set to reduce the minimum width to 30 metres to “meet market demands”, the regulator said in a document that clarifies how to calculate a minimum width and lays out related safety requirements.
The reduction would enable the C919 to be used in most Chinese airports, helping it compete with similar models made by market leaders Boeing and Airbus. Narrower runways are used at some regional and general aviation airports in China.
The Chinese jet, which can fit up to 192 seats, is closest to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families of aircraft in terms of specifications. Those Airbus and Boeing planes are already certified for use on narrow runways.
The regulatory change would allow the C919 to “enter some markets dominated before by the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320”, said Li Hanming, an independent aviation analyst.


The C919 has been flying commercially since 2023, and Comac now has at least 18 of the aircraft in service on 24 routes connecting 16 Chinese cities. But the company has yet to secure any foreign orders for the narrowbody jet.
According to Li, the C919 will be able to accumulate more experience once it is able to be used on narrow runways, which could boost its prospects overseas.
Aircraft made outside China already fly Southeast Asian routes involving smaller airports, including the resort island of Coron in the Philippines and the capital of East Timor, Dili. Large aircraft can damage their landing gear on narrow runways or have trouble with sideways manoeuvring due to insufficient space.
“Infrastructure is important,” Li said. “Nobody will buy aircraft that cannot land at home.”
Comac will showcase the C919 and its smaller C909 at the ongoing Singapore Airshow, as the Chinese firm steps up efforts to break up the Airbus-Boeing duopoly.
The C909, which fits up to 90 seats, is already being used by several airlines in Southeast Asia, but it remains confined to a few low-tier markets.
Last year, Brunei became the first Southeast Asian nation to recognise China’s C919 airworthiness certification. European regulatory officials were recently in China conducting tests on the jet, though it remains unclear when they might move forward with certification.
Meanwhile, Comac is still rushing to ramp up production of the C919, with China’s top three carriers having each placed orders for 100 of the planes. The firm is expected to deliver at least 28 C919 jets this year, up from 15 in 2025.


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Chinese regulators have opened the door to letting the C919 use narrow runways, which could boost the plane’s prospects in Southeast Asia


Chinese regulators have opened the door to letting the C919 use narrow runways, which could boost the plane’s prospects in Southeast Asia.


China plans regulatory change to help C919 jet compete with Airbus and Boeing

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chinese regulators have opened the door to letting the C919 use narrow runways, which could boost the plane’s prospects in Southeast Asia

Chinese regulators have opened the door to letting the C919 use narrow runways, which could boost the plane’s prospects in Southeast Asia