File photo of the C919, China’s first homemade large passenger aircraft, at a plant of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC), in Shanghai, east China in November 2015 [Xinhua]
China on Sunday announced that it had successfully test flown its second wide-body locally manufactured passenger plane, the C919.
According to local media, the C919 took from from Shanghai Pudong International airport for its two-hour maiden flight, and tested major aviation systems.
The first C919 made its maiden flight in May 2017.
China’s C919, manufactured by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), can carry 190 passengers for a distance of just over 4,000 km.
Although the C919 won’t go into full commercial use right away, COMAC says it has received orders for 570 aircraft from 23 foreign and local aviation companies.
COMAC is currently working with Russia’s United Aircraft Corp (UAC) to jointly produce a flagship carrier carrying 280 passengers for a maximum distance of 12,000 km by 2025-2028.
The two want to establish market share currently dominated by Airbus and Boeing.
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
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