China's First Domestically Produced Passenger Plane Enters into Service
- Özgür Töre
China's first large indigenous passenger plane on Sunday, May 28, 2023, completed its inaugural commercial flight with China Eastern Airlines.
The C919, built by the Shangai-based Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), flew from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport on Sunday, state-run Global Times newspaper reported, citing the airline's flight schedule.
Flight MU 9191 will be spanning the country's most busiest route lasting 2 hours and 25 minutes.
State-owned COMAC had delivered the first C919 aircraft to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.
It has a range of 4,075-5,555 kilometers (2,532-3,451 miles) and, with a layout of between 158 and 192 seats, was developed to compete against Boeing's 737 and Airbus' A320 series.
However, the 164-seater still relies heavily on Western components, including engines and avionics, reports BBC.
State-backed China Eastern Airline has ordered five of the newer, bigger planes.
Comac - which plans to produce 150 planes annually in five years' time - says it has already secured more than 1,200 orders for the C919. (AA)
