China’s Third Prototype of C919 Passenger Jet Completes First Test Flight

The jet completed its first test flight, marking another step towards China’s push to become a global civil aerospace player, its manufacturer said.

The C919, which will compete with Boeing Co’s 737 and the Airbus SE A320, has become a symbol of China’s civil aerospace ambition, as well as President Xi Jinping’s policy of upgrading national manufacturing capabilities, Reuters reported.

READ MORE: Chinese C919 Passenger Jet Prototype Makes Successful Test Flight (VIDEO)

Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd (COMAC) said in their official microblog that the plane landed safely at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 12:45 p.m. (0445 GMT), having flown for 1 hour and 38 minutes.

Future tests will include a flight to the city of Xi’an in central China for more test flights, with a focus on aircraft flutter and airspeed calibration, the company said.

The previous prototype of the C919 jet conducted its first flight in December 2017. COMAC said it is assembling three more prototypes, and that all six will be scheduled to conduct flight tests next year.

Dozens of customers have placed orders and made commitments for 815 of the C919 jets, according to Reuters. COMAC is aiming to get the certification for the plane from Chinese regulators by the end of 2020, as well as Europe’s aviation safety regulator, which agreed to start the certification process back in April 2018.