2023-05-28 07:33:34
The first Chinese-designed airliner, the C919, made its maiden commercial flight on Sunday (May 28th), Beijing hopes the C919 can compete with the most popular foreign aircraft such as the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320. “In the future, most passengers will be able to choose to travel on board large aircraft of national design”described the state television channel CCTV.
The plane took off from Hongqiao airport in Shanghai on Sunday morning, according to images from the chain, which said that 130 passengers were on board. Before takeoff, state media showed dozens of passengers gathered at Shanghai airport to admire the sleek white aircraft. The latter then boarded the aircraft which, following taxiing on the runway, took off. China Eastern Airlines flight MU9191 has landed ” slowly “ at Beijing International Airport regarding forty minutes early, around 12:30 p.m. local time (6:30 a.m. in Paris), according to CCTV.
All passengers received red boarding passes and were able to enjoy a sumptuous “theme meal” to celebrate the event. China, which is seeking to become self-sufficient in technology – and to compete with Western competitors in the air for a long time – has invested heavily in the production of this first Chinese-designed airliner. The aircraft is built by the state company Comac, but many parts of the machine come from other countries.
Over 1,200 orders for the C919
The C919 will be mobilized from Monday for the regular trips made by China Eastern Airlines to connect Shanghai to Chengdu (South), reported CCTV. 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, deputy chief executive of Comac, told the government-backed news outlet The Paper in January that the company had logged more than 1,200 orders for its device. The state manufacturer planned to increase its annual production capacity to 150 models within five years, Zhang Yujin said at the time.
Asia, and China in particular, are priority objectives for the European Airbus and the American Boeing, which seek to take advantage of the growing demand for flights from a large 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.
Tianjin’s first assembly site opened in 2008 and produces four A320s per month. A rate that Airbus hopes to increase to six per month by the end of 2023.
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