China made its mark in the global aircraft industry with the momentous inaugural commercial flight of C919 — the first domestically manufactured passenger jet of China.
Flying as China Eastern Airlines flight MU9191, the airline was greeted with water salute as it arrived at Beijing Airport from Shanghai on May 28, 2023. The plane was emblazoned with the words: “The World’s First C919.” The aircraft had been in development for 16 years.
Experience the first commercial flight on China's #C919 pic.twitter.com/D3ymOEOIQq
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) May 28, 2023
Chinese aviation experts and media hailed the move as “an important milestone” for the country’s aircraft industry.
“The first commercial flight is a coming-of-age ceremony of the new aircraft, and C919 will get better and better if it stands the test of the market,” said Zhang Xiaoguang, director of the marketing and sales department of COMAC.
Wang Ya’nan, chief editor of Beijing-based aerospace magazine, emphasized the necessity for China to possess its own manufacturing capabilities for regional aircraft and large commercial airliners, emphasizing both market size and development potential. “We must have our own manufacturing capabilities for regional aircraft and large commercial airliners,” he said.
The first C919 plane are expected to be operated between Shanghai and Chengdu, capital city of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, initially before adding more routes.
The company plans to build 150 C919 planes each year for the next five years. China Eastern Airlines has placed an order of five jets in March 2021 and received the first delivery in December 2022.
Will C919 challenge Airbus and Boeing?
The aircraft built by Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (COMAC) is an ambitious effort to challenge the market dominance of Airbus and Boeing.
Though some of its parts are sourced from abroad, including engines and avionics from firms such as General Electric, Safran and Honeywell, Beijing hopes the C919 commercial jetliner will challenge aircraft like the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320.
While global industry observers have expressed skepticism about the international prospects of the C919 in the near future, Chinese aviation experts emphasize that the domestic Chinese market is big enough to support the airline. China is the world’s second largest civil aerospace and aviation services market after the United States.
COMAC C919
According to information available on Chinese media:
- The C919 project was launched in 2007. The aircraft completed its first test flight in 2017.
- The plane has a maximum range of about 3,500 miles (5,630 kilometers).
- C919 can accommodate between 158 and 168 passengers.
- C919 is designed to have the same level of specifications as Airbus 320 and Boeing 737.
