Asia Tech Wire (Aug 9) -- China's home-made passenger jet C919 is expected to receive EU certification next year, according to Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post.

After the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) carried out an on-site inspection of the C919 plane in Shanghai last month, Chinese civil aviation authorities are more optimistic that it will receive EU certification in 2025, the report said on Friday, citing a person familiar with the matter.

"The delegation from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) gave positive feedback," said the person.

The report said the July inspection was part of compliance demonstration, the third and most important step in EASA's four-round certification procedure.

At this stage, aircraft manufacturers must demonstrate that their products comply with regulatory requirements relating to structures, engines, control systems, electrical systems and flight performance.

However, the report noted that the C919 did not undergo a test flight during the inspection, and the source said the test flight could take place later this year or early next year.

The C919 is a narrow-body airliner designed to compete with Airbus' A320 family and Boeing's B737 series, and obtaining EASA approval is crucial for the C919 to operate outside of China.

Since the first delivery in December 2022, C919 manufacturer Comac has now delivered seven of the airliners to China Eastern Airlines.

According to market sources, Comac's C919s for China's other two state-owned carriers, Air China and China Southern Airlines have both rolled off the assembly line and begun test flights, with deliveries to be completed as early as this month.