COMAC News

The Air Current • Julie Johnsson

COMAC’s 19-seat CE-25A electric demonstrator completes first crewed flight after months of autonomous testing

Two pilots and a flight-test engineer flew the battery-powered CE-25A for 16 minutes at Binzhou, marking the first time people have been aboard the aircraft. The full-scale demonstrator, with a maximum takeoff weight of about 22,046 pounds, had reportedly been undergoing autonomous flight tests for months before its public emergence in October.

2026-11-14T03:15:40.292863-08:00

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The Air Current

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COMAC’s 19-seat CE-25A electric demonstrator completes first crewed flight after months of autonomous testing

Two pilots and a flight-test engineer flew the battery-powered CE-25A for 16 minutes at Binzhou, marking the first time people have been aboard the aircraft. The full-scale demonstrator, with a maximum takeoff weight of about 22,046 pounds, had reportedly been undergoing autonomous flight tests for months before its public emergence in October.

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Bloomberg

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Emirates warns industry to prepare for China to challenge Airbus-Boeing commercial aircraft duopoly

Emirates says the aerospace industry should be prepared for China to challenge the Airbus-Boeing dominance of commercial aviation. The warning reflects China’s record of catching up and becoming a leading player in other industries, though the article provides no timeline or specific assessment of its aircraft programs.

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COMAC’s C919-600 shrink targets China’s high-altitude operating demands

COMAC is prioritizing a shortened C919 variant, the C919-600, in response to operating requirements at China’s high-altitude airports. The focus points to how local operating conditions are shaping the aircraft’s planned development, though the available reporting does not specify program timing or performance details.

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COMAC may have built full-scale CE-25A electric-aircraft demonstrator

Three years after first displaying a model of its CE-25A electric aircraft, COMAC may have built a full-scale demonstrator, according to a report. The available information does not establish the aircraft’s status, capabilities or intended role, leaving the project’s development stage uncertain.

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AeroTime

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Photos purport to show COMAC CE-25A electric-aircraft demonstrator

Images circulating on social media appear to show a COMAC CE-25A electric aircraft demonstrator at an airfield. The sparse information available offers no confirmation of the aircraft’s status, capabilities or intended role, leaving the photographs as the only reported evidence of the project.

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COMAC’s C929 supply chain takes on structural work as detailed design continues

Suppliers are taking on major structural work for COMAC’s C929 widebody and preparing components for development aircraft, signaling progress on the manufacturing side as detailed design continues. The update points to an expanding industrial effort around the program, though no schedule or production targets are provided.

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