Photo: comac.cc
New China Eastern Airlines' C919 narrow-body aircraft, flight MU9191, took off from Shanghai at 10:32 a.m. and landed at Beijing Capital International Airport exactly two hours later.
C919 is a symbol of the “Made in China by 2025” strategy ;, which is aimed at stimulating local production, including by reducing the dependence of the aviation sector on foreign aircraft.
With a range of up to 5,555 kilometers, the C919 can compete almost on an equal footing with the world's two largest aircraft manufacturers – French Airbus and American Boeing. It will compete directly with their A320 and B737 narrow-body aircraft, the most frequently used for domestic and regional international flights.
Built in China by COMAC – Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, the first C919 was delivered to China Eastern Airlines in December Passed a series of test flights in 2022 and in the following months.
The economical twin-engine aircraft is designed for 164 seats in a two-class layout with a business and economy class cabin.
As of the end of 2022, the new the aircraft received 1,035 orders from 32 customers.
Interestingly, many of the main elements of the aircraft, such as the nose, fuselage, wing, vertical and horizontal stabilizer bars, are COMAC's own designs. < /p>
However, some components were ordered from the West. So, LEAP-1C engines were developed by CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and the French industrial group Safran.