The first Chinese-designed airliner, the C919, completed its maiden commercial flight on Sunday (May 28), a turning point for China’s airline industry that has long sought to compete with Western rivals.
Beijing hopes the C919 can compete with popular foreign jets like the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320.
“In the future, most passengers will be able to choose to travel aboard large domestically designed aircraft,” state television channel CCTV described.
China Eastern Airlines flight MU9191 landed “without problems” at Beijing Capital International Airport about 40 minutes before 12:30 p.m. local time (4:30 GMT), according to CCTV. The flight “was extremely smooth, comfortable and memorable. I think I will remember it for a long time,” a passenger on board the plane told CCTV after landing.
The plane took off from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport on Sunday morning, according to pictures from the channel, which said there were 130 passengers on board.
Before takeoff, state media showed dozens of passengers gathered at the Shanghai airport to admire the sleek white plane. The latter boarded the aircraft which, after taxiing down the runway, took off. All passengers received red boarding passes and enjoyed a lavish “themed meal” on board to celebrate the event, CCTV said.
Seeking to become self-sufficient in the technology sector, China has invested heavily in the production of this first Chinese-designed commercial aircraft. The plane is built by the state company Comac, but many parts of the machine come from other countries.
The C919 will mobilize from Monday for regular routes operated by China Eastern Airlines to connect Shanghai with Chengdu (south), CCTV reported.
The first model of this narrow-body aircraft that can carry 164 passengers was officially delivered to the Chinese airline in December 2022.
Zhang Yujin, Comac’s deputy chief executive, told the government-backed outlet The Paper in January that the company had registered more than 1,200 orders for its device. The state-owned automaker planned to increase its annual production capacity to 150 models in five years, Zhang Yujin said at the time.
Asia, and China in particular, are priority targets for the European Airbus and the American Boeing, which seek to take advantage of the growing demand for flights from an important middle class.
In April, Airbus announced that it would double its production capacity in China and signed an agreement to build a second assembly line in Tianjin (northeast) for the A320.
The first Tianjin assembly site opened in 2008 and produces four A320s per month. A fee that Airbus expects to increase to six a month by the end of 2023.
Source: BFM TV
