Advertisement: The new narrowbody jet of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) is on track to be certified in 2021, its chief designer says. This means that the first C919 could be in service with launch customer China Eastern Airlines before the end of the year and that Boeing and Airbus could soon face real competition on the lucrative Chinese short-haul market. During the National People’s Congress Friday, the aircraft’s chief designer said that he expects the plane to finish flight testing in 2021. Photo: Getty Images Airworthiness certificate before the end of 2021 As reported by the South China Morning Post, the Chief Designer of COMAC’s narrowbody, Wu Guanghui, said today that he expects the aircraft to be certified within the current calendar year. The C919, meant to take up the competition with Boeing’s 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo, is set to finish its flight testing and gain airworthiness approval by the end of 2021.