Domestic airliner C919 has completed its certification test flight, taking it one step closer to commercial operations. Conceived in 2008, the C919 took its maiden flight in 2017. When certified, deliveries will commence within a few months.
The C919 has 158-168 seats and a range of up to 5,555 kilometers. It will compete directly with the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320. Chinese airlines have over 4,000 commercial aircraft in service, with Airbus and Boeing aircraft accounting for more than 90 percent. The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China has taken 815 orders from 28 customers for its first large commercial jet.
The commercial aircraft field is dominated by Boeing and Airbus, but China is set to overtake the United States as the world's busiest market, expected to absorb more than 6,000 single-aisle jets with more than 120 seats in the next twenty years. Not until 2031, will COMAC achieve annual production of more than 100 of the C919.
