The C919 carries « the will of the state, the dream of the Chinese nation and the expectations of the Chinese people. »
BEIJING — China’s first large « homegrown » airliner made its maiden flight Friday in a major challenge to Western dominance of the skies.
The C919 jet was built at a reported development cost of $8.6 billion.
It has passed a series of technical and safety tests since rolling off the production line in 2015.
After the 90-minute journey was over, the test pilots left the aircraft smiling, wearing orange overalls with the Chinese flag.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the flight meant China had become « one of the world’s top makers of jumbo aircraft, » becoming the fourth large jet producer after the U. S., Europe and Russia.
The C919 carries « the will of the state, the dream of the Chinese nation and the expectations of the Chinese people, » said Jin Zhuanglong, chairman of the state-run Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) . He added the project is in line with the spirit of « aeronautical patriotism. »
The 168-seat jet has a flying range of 3,000 miles — which is the market segment dominated by the popular Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. It has been in development for seven years.
« China wanted to build a homegrown airliner so it would no longer relinquish its lucrative large commercial airplane market to foreign companies, » said Derek Levine, author of « The Dragon Takes Flight, » a book which traces China’s effort in building the C919.
However, Levine said the project « has more to do with nationalism than commercial intent, » estimating that only 30 percent of the plane is Chinese-made, with most key components from engines to avionics coming from U. S. companies.
Although China has lagged behind its Western rivals in aircraft development, it boasts the world’s fastest-growing aviation market, which will eventually overtake the United States.
