China delays the final regulatory approvals needed for Airbus jets to enter service in the country, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg. The Civil Aviation Administration of China is reported to be holding back the final sign-off that allows aircraft deliveries to be accepted for operation, a process that has taken place over the past several months.
Bloomberg reports that the delays are viewed by the people familiar with the situation as a signal of impatience with the time European regulators take to certify Chinese-made aircraft. The articles frame the issue as part of a broader regulatory and certification dynamic between China and Europe, rather than a specific safety or technical finding about the planes themselves.
While the sources focus on China’s actions, the described context points to reciprocal certification timelines: Chinese regulators’ pace for approvals of European aircraft appears to be influenced by how long European certification processes take for aircraft produced in China. The reports do not provide further detail on the number of planes affected or specific reasons for the hold-ups beyond the regulatory-timing context.
