China Delivers First C-919 Aircraft to Operator, its Competitor to Airbus A320 & Boeing 737

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) delivered the first C919, China's first domestically-developed narrow-body passenger jet, to China Eastern Airlines in Shanghai on Friday morning.

This newly-delivered plane is expected to be put into commercial operation in early 2023, Chinese state media reported.

The aircraft has a length of 38.9m, wingspan of 35.8m and a height of 11.95m. The fuselage of the aircraft is 3.96m wide and 4.16m high. The dimensions of the aircraft are almost similar to those of Airbus A320.

The cabin of the C919 will be 3.9m wide and 2.25m high. The passenger model of the aircraft will accommodate up to 170 passengers. COMAC plans to build six different models of the aircraft, which will include business jets, passenger aircraft, shrunk passenger versions and freighters.

At Shanghai Pudong International Airport, COMAC delivered the aircraft sales certificate and the commemorative key to China Eastern. The Civil Aviation Administration of China issued the airworthiness certificate to the airline.

As the first such model globally, China Eastern also needs to carry out more than 100 hours of testing flights to verify and confirm the operational safety, maintenance reliability and various operational support capabilities of the aircraft.