China’s first large passenger jet made its maiden commercial flight this Sunday (28), flying from Shanghai to Beijing, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
Flying on China Eastern Airlines under flight number MU9191, the new C919 narrow-body aircraft left Shanghai at 10:32 am local time. The aircraft was greeted with a water spray salute after landing at Beijing Capital International Airport at 12:31 pm.
After years of research and development, the launch of the C919 is seen as a pivotal moment in Beijing’s “Made in China 2025” strategy, which aims to boost local industry by reducing dependence on foreign aircraft in its aviation sector.
“The first commercial flight is a ceremony that marks the new aircraft, and the C919 will get even better as it passes the market test,” said Zhang Xiaoguang, Director of Marketing and Sales Department at COMAC.
With a range of up to 5,555 kilometers, the C919 will compete with the two main aircraft manufacturers in the world, Airbus and Boeing. It will be a direct competitor to its narrow-body A320 and B737 jets, which are mostly used for regional domestic and international flights.
Built by COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) in China, the first C919 was delivered to China Eastern Airlines in December 2022 and, in the following months, made a series of test flights.
The aircraft has a single aisle, two engines and 164 seats in a two-class, business and economy cabin configuration.
According to the 2022 Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Report issued by the government, 32 customers had ordered a total of 1,035 aircraft by the end of 2022.
Many of the main elements of the plane, such as the nose, fuselage, outer wing, vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer were designed by COMAC.
However, the company enlisted Western companies to help with some components. Among them are the LEAP-1C engines, which were developed by CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and the French high-tech industrial group Safran.
Source: CNN Brasil
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