China’s first indigenously developed passenger aircraft has concluded its maiden voyage in a test flight that took off from Pudong International Airport in Shanghai.
Developed by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), the Comac C919 single-aisle aircraft is designed to carry around 150 passengers.
Powered by CFM International’s LEAP-1C integrated propulsion system, the flight lasted 79 minutes.
Five people, comprising the captain, co-pilot, a test observer and two engineers, took part in the test flight.
Conducted after repeated delays, the flight also marked the beginning of the aircraft’s test programme for certification.
Comac president He Dongfeng said: “This is a great day for all of us.
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By GlobalData“The engines performed beautifully during today’s flight and we believe they will bring our customers the levels of fuel-efficiency and reliability they will require in their daily operations.”
Scheduled to enter commercial service with China Eastern Airlines by 2019, the Comac C919 is expecting to compete with its European rival Airbus and the US plane maker Boeing, reported livemint.
Comac is planning to build six aircraft for the flight test programme, with the second one currently under development at its final assembly line in Shanghai.
