The first Chinese-made passenger plane made its first commercial flight on May 28 from Hongqiao Airport to Beijing, AP reported.
130 passengers were able to enjoy the flight aboard the new Chinese aircraft. The flight was operated by the state-owned China Eastern Airlines, and onboard was the inscription: “The world’s first C919.”
The C919, which has been in development for 16 years, has a maximum range of about 3,500 miles (ca. 5,633 kilometers) and is designed to carry between 158 and 168 passengers.
The airliner’s manufacturer, COMAC, a commercial company, hopes to enter the narrow-body aircraft market and compete with the Airbus A320 and Boeing B737, which are most often used for domestic and regional flights.
However, judging by the comments of COMAC, it is still incorrect to call their aircraft completely Chinese, as the company said that some parts, including the engine, were produced in the West.
COMAC plans to produce 150 C919 aircraft annually over the next five years. According to company management, they have already received an order for 1,200 C919 jetliners, and China Eastern Airlines has signed a contract to purchase five of them.