The COMAC C919 aircraft, China’s initial passenger plane developed domestically concluded its first commercial flight. This move signals China’s intent to challenge big players like Boeing and Airbus in the global aircraft industry.
According to China Daily, the C919 aircraft constructed by the Commercial Aviation Corporation of China carried approximately 130 passengers during its flight. The plane departed from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport on Sunday morning and touched down in Beijing in less than two hours.
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State-owned China Eastern Airlines operated the flight, and “The World’s First C919” was written on the side of the plane. The launch of the plane marks COMAC’s attempt to compete directly with Airbus and Boeing in the single-aisle jet market. Typically, Airbus’s A320 and Boeing’s B737 jets are the most widely used aircraft for both domestic and regional flights.
Earlier state media reports suggest COMAC intends to manufacture 150 C919 planes annually for the next five years.
The C919, which took 16 years to develop, can transport between 158 and 168 passengers and has a maximum range of roughly 3,500 miles (5,630 kilometers).
According to COMAC, more than 1,200 C919 jetliners have been ordered, and China Eastern Airlines is committed to purchasing five of them.
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