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A visitor appreciates a model of a C919, the Chinese super jumbo jet, on display at Asian Aerospace 2009 in Hong Kong yesterday.
China's largest domestically-produced jumbo jet made its international debut at Asia's biggest air show in Hong Kong yesterday, in a demonstration of the country's ambition to be a global aviation giant.
The single-aisle C919 is a jetliner with up to 200 seats that could boost the country's fledgling aviation industry to compete with Western rivals like Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS. The C919 was designed by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).
The plane is scheduled to take its maiden voyage in 2014 before being delivered to buyers in 2016, according to Wang Wenbin, an official of the COMAC.
Work on the prototype began last week, he said. A car-sized mock-up of the jet was on display yesterday at the Asian air show.
The project is a major first step by China toward the production of commercial planes, along with the research and technology capabilities for its fast-growing domestic market rather than relying on foreign companies. It would also pave the way for international expansion.
Because China's nascent commercial aerospace industry still lacks expertise, the C919 initially will be outfitted with engines and other parts from foreign companies.
"The civil aviation industry is just starting to boom," said Wang, COMAC's assistant general manager. "Although we have ... experience in civil aircraft manufacturing, we still have a long way to go compared to aviation industry superpowers such as the United States."
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