China is set to launch first commercial flight on its C919 plane
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Chinese Eastern Airlines schedules the first commercial flight on its domestically produced C919 for May 28, a narrow-bodied passenger jet set to compete with the A320 and the B737.
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The domestically produced C919 passenger jet flies at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, 8 November 2022 (Reuters)
China will be launching its first domestically produced passenger jet via an inaugural commercial flight scheduled for May 28, according to China Eastern Airlines.
The aviation company has set the time for the departure of the brand-new C919 at 10:45 AM (local time) from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, arriving at the Beijing Capital Airport at 1:10 PM (local time).
In an announcement it made on its app China Eastern Airlines said that it will select the passengers for the narrow-bodied jet through a lottery of customers who applied to board the C919 which has been under development since 2008.
The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) is the company responsible for the development and production of the passenger aircraft which was later sent to China Easter Airlines in December 2022 for testing.
The twin-engined jet hosts a single aisle that includes 164 seats divided into business and economy classes.
C919 can fly up to 5,555 kilometers and is set to compete with the industry leaders, Airbus and Boeing.
The Chinese plane is expected to go head-to-head against the A320 and B737 narrow-bodied jets which are used for domestic and regional flights.
A report by the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission of the local government shows that 32 companies have put in orders for a total of 1,035 planes by the end of 2022.
Various parts of the plane such as the nose, fuselage, outer wing, vertical stabilizer, and horizontal stabilizer were developed by COMAC as Western companies aided the Chinese company with the development of other elements of the plane.
Parts such as the LEAP-1C engine were developed by CFM International; a French American joint venture between GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines.
