(Yicai) Dec. 18 -- Tibet Airlines and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China have agreed to partner on developing a version of the C919 plane suited to high-altitude flying over plateaus, making the carrier the first in China to work on a variant of the narrow-body aircraft.

The pair will also set up a national level research center for the high-altitude operation of large jets to promote the operation and technological achievements of Comac’s ARJ21 and C919, according to the deal they signed in Shanghai yesterday.

The C919 plateau variant will be suited to airports at high altitudes, have a 140-seat capacity, 28 fewer than standard, and a range of 3,000 kilometers, according to a prototype Comac displayed at this year's China International Import Expo and the Shanghai International Commercial Airshow. At about 34 meters in length, it will be 3.6 meters shorter than the basic C919 model but with the standard wings and engines.

The model can meet the needs of air transport in western China and is suitable for plateau airports, is well adapted to such environments, and is cost-effective, according to Comac.

Lhasa-based Tibet Airlines operates flights mainly in and out of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, and so has much experience of flying aircraft at high altitude and over plateaus.

In addition to the high-altitude version, Comac has also demonstrated an extended version of the C919 mainly designed for medium and long-range flights carrying 210 passengers over distances of 4,500 km. The Shanghai-based plane maker did not disclose the model’s development progress and likely delivery schedule. 

The first-ever C919 aircraft was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9 last year to work the Shanghai-Chengdu route. Orders for the C919 have risen to 1,061, He Dongfeng, chairman of Comac, said at the Pujiang Innovation Forum on Sept. 10.

Editors: Zhang Yushuo, Martin Kadiev