The 158-seater C919 is being touted as a rival to single-aisle jets such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.

China’s home-grown narrow bodies passenger plane took to the skies on Friday, announcing Beijing’s bid to acquire some elbow room in an aviation market, which has so far been dominated by giants Boeing and Airbus.



China’s own C-919, built in Shanghai took off on its maiden flight from the city’s Pudong airport on Friday afternoon, following a brief, if not low key ceremony. Analysts say that the passenger jet’s flight was seen as a technological triumph, which also seamlessly amplified Chinese President Xi Jinping’s leadership style.



President Xi has viewed the making of the C-919 as a pet prestige project that would help authenticate his slogan of realising a highly aspirational “Chinese Dream”.



“Although it could be a long road, we will hard work to chase that goal (of manufacturing a large aircraft),” he had said during a 2014 visit to Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), the Shanghai based manufacturer of the plane.



The 158-seat narrow bodied jet is part of a family of six planes that are to undergo stringent flight tests till 2019, before the C-919 can enter the market. Once commercial sales begin, China’s domestically designed plane is expected to compete for market share with the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320.



The Hong Kong based South China Morning Post is reporting that the second C-919, which is now being assembled at Comac’s plant in Pudong is likely to undergo testing in the second half of this year.



The development of the C-919 benefited from the Comac’s seven year experience of getting its first aircraft, the regional ARJ-21 jet, into production, after its debut flight in 2008.



The development of a wide-bodied passenger jet is now on Comac’s radar. The Chinese state company has already established a joint venture with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation to develop a longer-haul passenger jet. The company visualises the maiden flight of this plane in 2022, prior to deliveries in 2025.



Observers point out that despite the advanced design, Chinese aircraft manufactures are yet to develop critical technologies, including engines for the C-919. Fifteen international companies, including General Electric and Honeywell are contributing to the project.