The first C919 to be delivered for commercial use completed its maiden test flight on Saturday morning, according to its manufacturer, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).
The aircraft, registration B-001J, took off at 6:52 (Beijing time) from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport and landed back at the airport at 9:54, for a total flight time of 182 minutes.
As reported by CGTN, COMAC said that the pilot and engineers performed all required tests during the flight that lasted three hours and two minutes, and that the aircraft remained within expected parameters.
The C919 expects to compete in the medium-range, less-than-200-seat single-aisle segments, such as some sort variants of Airbus’ A320 family and Boeing’s 737 MAX.
Since 2019, six C919 jets have conducted a series of ground and flight tests in places such as Shanghai, Yanliang, Dongying, and Nanchang. In November 2020, the C919 received its type inspection authorization
The C919, China’s first self-developed trunk jetliner, has 158-174 seats and a range of 4,075-5,555 km. The plane conducted its successful maiden flight in 2017.
In March 2021, China Eastern Airlines signed a contract to buy five C919s, the first commercial deal for the aircraft.
