China’s first passenger plane completes maiden commercial flight

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The first Chinese-made passenger jet has taken to the air on its maiden commercial flight, in a symbolic moment for China’s technological independence after years of project delays.

The single-aisle C919 flew from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday after more than a decade of development and an estimated $72 billion in support from Beijing.

The aircraft has boosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s aspirations as he strives for technological self-sufficiency for his country in the face of intensifying trade tensions with the United States. The prospect, albeit long-term, of a Chinese passenger jet industry could pose a threat to the Boeing-Airbus duopoly.

The C919 was built by the state-owned aerospace champion Comac and the first flight was operated by the national carrier China Eastern. National media heralded the event as “a day to remember” and noted that Comac had received more than 1,000 orders from 32 customers, as of the end of 2022.

“The successful development of the C919 indicates that China has the capacity to develop large passenger aircraft on its own,” Xinhua, the state news agency, said.

Though the project has been underway since 2008 and a maiden flight first planned in 2014, excitement has built in recent months as the jet received regulatory approval in China and moved closer to commercial operations.

In October, President Xi hosted the C919 development team at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, praising the group “as the backbone” of the country and “heroes”.

“Having Chinese airliners flying in the sky embodies our country’s will, our nation’s dream and our people’s expectations,” Xi said at the time, adding that advances in domestic manufacturing “would help realize the dream of a national industry”. rejuvenation”.

Analysts said they expect Comac to start crumbling the market share of Boeing and Airbus in the huge Chinese aviation market and some developing countries. However, the C919 does not have regulatory approval in the US or Europe.

Analysts also pointed out that the aircraft is dependent on Western suppliers for critical components. This raises the possibility that the aviation industry could become entangled in tightening controls on US technology exports to China that have already hit the country’s chip makers.

Aviation safety has come under renewed scrutiny in China since last March, when China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735, a Boeing 737 carrying 132 people, crashed in the southern region of Guangxi, killing everyone on board.

As the C919 took to the air Sunday, state media highlighted the jet’s safety credentials, including testing in extreme natural environments including high temperature, high humidity, severe cold, gusts and freezing conditions.

“Its safety, reliability and environmental protection performance has been comprehensively evaluated,” Xinhua said.