我曾飞过百万里长空，与全球数十家航空公司共同划破云霄——其中不乏从北京飞往上海、乘坐Air China飞机的经历。工作日里，连接中国首都和金融中心的航班每天多达60余班，单程不辍，从经典的波音747到最新的空中客车A350皆有涉猎。然而，在近期的一次飞行中，我坐上了Air China的第一架C919飞机——这是中国大陆航线上唯一认证可在境内运行的国产主力客机。
首都国际机场PEK，提前一小时到达，第一次近距离接触了这架C919。从远处看去，它与A320相仿，拥有更圆润的机鼻和流线型机身，但细心之眼仍能捕捉到其独特的驾驶舱窗户和翼尖设计。
初入C919内部，我立刻感受到了一种熟悉的气息——仿佛是一架崭新的A320，弥漫着一丝清新而令人兴奋的“新车味”。值得一提的是，Air China在三巨头国有航空公司中选择了最大座位布局：共计158个座椅，包括8个商务舱和150个经济舱，相比于可达到的192座上限，这提供了更宽敞的空间。对于那些追求腿部空间的乘客而言，这一点无疑是一大福音。
在飞机上，每个人都得到了额外关怀——即使是那些不在紧急出口座位区的乘客也能享受到折叠式设备支架（支持智能手机和平板电脑），且每个座位都配备了独立调节的空气喷嘴以满足个性化空调需求。然而，经济舱座椅采用了流行的窄体飞机典型3×3布局，其简约设计并未带来过多的奢华感。
然而，舒适的乘坐体验并非全无瑕疵：尽管座椅本身较为单薄，但得益于免费的枕头，这在一定程度上减轻了座位带来的不适。每个三个乘客共享两组带USB-A和USB-C插孔的电源插座，为长达5,555公里（约3,400英里）旅程提供了便利性。
值得一提的是，C919并未配备个人娱乐系统或机载WiFi服务；但飞机上的阅读体验仍令人满意——每个座椅后方都装有实际印刷品的杂志和私人物品的小袋子。虽然空中没有提供娱乐选项，每位乘客可自由携带电子设备，并利用这些设备保持乐趣。
在起飞前，空乘人员自豪地介绍道：“您今天搭乘的是Air China自主研发的C919飞机。”随后，在滑行向跑道途中，飞机开始了其首次商业飞行。即便行程仅为1小时40分钟的短途航班，经济舱内仍供应热餐；在登机时每排座位前均有瓶装水等待着乘客。尽管空中娱乐选项匮乏，但我的煎蛋、酸奶和巧克力条仍然美味可口。
卫生间宽敞且整洁，配备衣帽钩等设施，在我乘坐的所有机型中算得上较为出色。随着上海最高摩天大楼的轮廓渐入眼帘，飞机缓缓降落在虹桥国际机场SHA。与计划时间相比早到40分钟，并没有响起掌声或欢呼声；但这并不足为奇——在中国的航班上通常不会有这样的仪式感。
下机时，我注意到一些乘客在得知飞机为中国国产后，纷纷举起手机拍照纪念。旅途虽无波折，但总体而言是一次较为平淡、不出意料的经历。对于大多数乘客，甚至包括像我这样的常旅客来说，在Air China C919上飞行与乘坐熟悉的A320或B737并无太大区别。
就个人体验而论，C919这趟航班给我的安全性和舒适度打出了一个中等分数——B级评价。尽管飞机的类型对大多数乘客的选择影响不大（除非有明显理由），中国商飞仍面临着确保C919性能稳定、可靠以吸引东盟、非洲及其他新兴市场运营商的挑战。
随着时间推移，如果越来越多的旅客对乘坐C919的感受无出其右，则这架国产客机有可能从表演性的“秀马”，逐步转变成为国内外航空公司的重要工作机型。
新闻来源：www.cnn.com
原文地址：The C919 is China’s answer to the A320. But what is it like onboard?
新闻日期：2024-10-04
原文摘要：
I have flown more than a million miles with dozens of airlines around the world – and have lost count of how many times I’ve hopped on an Air China plane for the short trip from Beijing to Shanghai. During the week, airlines schedule more than 60 flights everyday between the country’s capital and financial hub – each way – often using their biggest jets, from the iconic Boeing 747 to the newest Airbus A350. With plenty of widebody options in its fleet of almost 1,000 planes, Air China deployed a narrowbody for my flight on a recent Thursday morning. But it wasn’t just any narrowbody – it was the flag carrier’s first, and so far the only, C919 jetliner. The C919 is China’s first homegrown mainline passenger plane, manufactured by the Shanghai-based state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). After spending years in development and lengthy delays, the twin-engine jet made its maiden commercial voyage with hometown carrier China Eastern Airlines in May 2023. Long touted as a potential game-changer in global commercial aviation, the C919 is COMAC’s answer to the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 – two of the world’s best-selling aircraft types. Despite recording more than 1,000 orders, the C919 seems dogged by skeptics who question its “Chineseness” (with key parts such as engines and flight control systems imported from the US and Europe) and its commercial viability given the Airbus-Boeing duopoly in the market. For an aviation geek like me, however, none of the controversies could dampen my enthusiasm to unlock a brand-new aircraft type and review this still rare passenger experience since there are only a handful of C919s in the air within mainland China, the only region it’s been certified to fly to date. I showed up at the gate at Beijing’s sprawling Capital International Airport (PEK) an hour before departure time to see the C919 in the flesh for the first time. From a distance, it could easily be mistaken for an A320 with its more rounded nose and curved fuselage (compared to the B737). More discerning eyes would probably notice the C919’s distinctive cockpit windows and wingtips. My first impression upon stepping into the month-old C919 was that it felt just like an A320 – with a bit of lingering new plane smell. To its credit, among the “Big Three” state-owned carriers that operate the aircraft type, Air China opted for the most spacious configuration with 158 seats (out of the possible maximum of 192) – eight in first class and 150 in economy. In this age of “cattle class” for economy fliers, any extra legroom counts. I had pre-paid for an emergency exit row seat and was more than pleased with the legroom for both exit rows (19 and 20), which offer more space than even domestic first class. As someone who is 180cm (or 5’11”) tall, I could easily stretch my legs all the way out with my feet barely touching the seat in front of me. Other aspects of the interior look more run-of-the-mill: There are individual air nozzles for customized climate control, and economy passengers not in exit rows each have a foldable device holder (for smartphones and tablets) just above the tray table. The economy seats themselves – in a typical 3x3 layout – are of the thin variety increasingly popular with airlines as they cram more rows into the main cabin. But any potential discomfort on this flight was mitigated by the free pillows – I put one behind me for extra padding. Beneath the seats, every three passengers share two sockets featuring both USB-A and USB-C plugs. For a jetliner with a range up to 5,555 kilometers (just under 3,500 miles), Air China’s C919 seems to count on passengers to provide their own inflight entertainment. While each seatback contains literature space (with actual inflight magazines) as well as pouches for personal items, there are no individual screens or WiFi onboard (programming shown on the drop-down screens seemed universally unappealing) – that must be where the device holder comes in. I was happy to hear the flight attendant highlight the aircraft type in his pre-takeoff briefing. “Today you’re flying with Air China C919 aircraft, which is the first large airliner independently developed by China,” he said, as the jet taxied to the runway. Air China serves hot meals in economy during meal hours even for short-haul flights (today’s flying time: 1 hour 40 minutes). Bottled water was placed in each seatback pouch before boarding and my omelet – along with yogurt and a chocolate bar – tasted totally fine. I checked out one of the two economy lavatories in the back of the cabin. It’s bright (and was clean and well-stocked on this flight), has a coat hook and feels less cramped than many of the latest versions on the A320 or B737. With the tops of Shanghai’s tallest skyscrapers emerging in the clouds, our plane began to descend toward Hongqiao International Airport (SHA). Sitting in the window seat next to the engine, I remembered one of the two main complaints about the C919 that I’d read online: engine noise. Everyone has different tolerance levels, but I didn’t find the sound to be much louder than that on a typical flight using a Boeing or Airbus narrowbody plane. The other complaint apparently was the lack of space in overhead bins. Even though the C919 isn’t going to win the overhead space competition, everyone on this full flight seemed to be able to fit in their wheeled carry-on luggage with no problem. Following a smooth touchdown in Shanghai some 40 minutes ahead of schedule, there was no applause or cheers (which is never a Chinese tradition on airplanes anyway). After deplaning, I noticed a few more passengers – perhaps made aware by the inflight announcement about the Chinese-made aircraft – taking photos of the C919. Saving a few bumps along the way, it was a decidedly uneventful journey. Most people – including frequent fliers like me – likely didn’t feel much difference flying this C919 compared to previous flights on the ubiquitous A320 or B737. As far as my passenger expectation goes, this C919 flight has earned a solid B in terms of safety and comfort. At the end of the day, travelers don’t usually choose flights based on aircraft type – unless they feel there’re compelling reasons to do so (as shown recently following several incidents involving Boeing jets). COMAC undoubtedly has a lot riding on the success of the C919, as the Chinese government tries to upgrade key industries and reduce reliance on Western technology. Geopolitics and national pride aside, though, for a passenger aircraft program to soar, analysts have pointed out that COMAC needs to prove the C919’s reliability to potential operators in Southeast Asia, Africa and other emerging markets – in the absence of quick certification by US and European regulators. If more passengers continue to have “remarkably unremarkable” experiences on the C919, COMAC may just be able to turn its jetliner from a show horse to the workhorse of airlines in China and beyond.
