BEIJING (Daily Pakistan Online) China on Friday announced the delivery of its first indigenously produced aircraft to an airline, hoping that the aircraft will be available for commercial use next year. Beijing hopes the C919 commercial jetliner will challenge foreign models such as Boeing’s 737 Max and Airbus’s A320. Most of the parts of the Chinese-made aircraft are imported from abroad.
According to News18, the first model of the 164-passenger jet was officially handed over to China Eastern Airlines during a ceremony at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport. China Eastern Airlines is the first customer to receive the C919, which was designed to compete with Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’ A320.
The C919 is one of five ordered by China Eastern to be delivered by 2023. It will begin flying commercially next spring, according to a Bloomberg report.
State broadcaster CCTV said the move was “an important milestone” in the journey of China’s aviation industry. CCTV footage released on Friday showed the jet marked China Eastern parked at the rain-hit airport.
China’s state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China said at an air show last month that it had received 300 orders for the C919, but it is unclear whether those orders have been fully confirmed. In addition, at what price are the deals? This is also not stated.
