China Debuts First Domestically Produced Passenger Jet in Commercial Flight

China's first domestically made passenger jet, the C919, flew its maiden commercial flight on Sunday, launching an aircraft developed over 16 years to compete with Boeing and Airbus in the growing market for single-aisle jets.
The C919, built by the Commercial Aviation Corporation of China, carried about 130 passengers on the flight from Shanghai to Beijing operated by China Eastern Airlines.
The C919 relies on Western-made components such as engines and avionics but is a milestone in China's ambitions to boost high-tech manufacturing and reduce dependence on foreign technology.
Orders for the C919 from Chinese carriers and aircraft lessors have reached 1,235 planes, though the plane still needs certifications from U.S. and European regulators to fly internationally.
COMAC aims to produce 150 C919 planes annually within five years as it develops a bigger jet, the CR929, in partnership with Russia's United Aircraft Corporation.