Chinese state-owned aerospace manufacturer Comac has undertaken the first flight of its forthcoming C919 aircraft.
The plane took off from Shanghai’s Pudong International airport, and was airborne for around one hour twenty minutes.
The narrow-body plane is designed to accommodate between 158 and 168 passengers, with the aim of competing against existing aircraft including the Airbus A320 and Boeing B737 families.
Comac says it has orders for 570 C919s from around 20 customers, mainly comprising Chinese carriers and lease customers.
China Eastern Airlines will be the launch customer for the aircraft, with a first delivery currently planned for 2020.
