LEAP-1C

Overview

The LEAP-1C is the sole Western-developed powerplant for China's first domestically designed narrowbody airliner, the COMAC C919. It shares the same 78-inch fan diameter and 11:1 bypass ratio as the LEAP-1A for the A320neo, making it the physically largest of the three LEAP variants. The LEAP-1C represents a strategically significant program for both CFM International and China's aviation industry — it is the only LEAP variant developed exclusively for a single customer aircraft, and that aircraft represents China's most ambitious effort to enter the commercial narrowbody market dominated by Boeing and Airbus.

From a technical standpoint, the LEAP-1C is essentially a re-engined variant of the LEAP-1A adapted to C919 airframe integration requirements, including revised nacelle geometry and different FADEC software calibrations. It incorporates the same CMC turbine shrouds, 3D-woven composite fan blades, TAPS II combustor, and additive-manufactured fuel nozzles that define the LEAP generation. However, the C919's entry into commercial service was significantly delayed — originally planned for 2014, it finally entered service with China Eastern Airlines in May 2023, nearly a decade late.

Technical Specifications

Variants

The LEAP-1C is produced in a single primary variant, the LEAP-1C1, rated at approximately 30,000 lbf for the C919's operating weight and range requirements. Unlike the LEAP-1A which spans 24,000–35,000 lbf across multiple sub-variants for different A320neo family members, the LEAP-1C is tailored specifically to the C919's mission profile targeting routes up to approximately 2,200 nm. Potential future stretched C929 variants — should they proceed — would likely require a larger engine outside the LEAP family's current envelope.

Aircraft Applications

• COMAC C919: LEAP-1C1 (30,000 lbf) — China's first indigenous single-aisle narrowbody, routes up to 2,200 nm

Development History

COMAC selected the LEAP-1C in 2009 as the launch engine for the C919, in competition with Pratt & Whitney's PW1100G. The LEAP-1C first ran in October 2014, sharing many development milestones with the LEAP-1A program. Chinese certification (CAAC type certificate) for the LEAP-1C came in September 2022, paving the way for C919 certification in September 2022. China Eastern Airlines inaugurated the first C919 commercial flight in May 2023 on the Shanghai Hongqiao – Beijing Capital route. The LEAP-1C's strategic significance has grown amid US-China trade tensions and export control concerns: China has actively accelerated development of the domestic AECC CJ-1000A engine as a potential long-term replacement, though that engine faces a decade-long certification road. For the foreseeable future, the LEAP-1C remains the C919's only engine option, making CFM International a critical supplier to China's aviation ambitions.