The first Chinese-made "C919" passenger plane took off today, Sunday, on its first commercial flight, which represents a quantum leap for China seeking to compete with the West in this field.
Footage broadcast by the official CCTV channel showed the take-off of Chinese Eastern Airlines Flight MU9191 from Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai at approximately 10:30 am (02:30 GMT).
The channel said that the destination of the plane, which carries more than 130 passengers, is Beijing International Airport.
Footage broadcast by state media showed dozens of passengers gathering at Shanghai airport, preparing to board the white-colored plane.
China has invested heavily in producing this aircraft locally as part of its quest to achieve self-sufficiency in key technologies.
Beijing hopes the C919 will compete with popular Western models such as the Boeing 737 Max and Airbus A320.
Interest is large: orders log
The plane is manufactured by the state-owned Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (COMAC), but many of its components come from abroad.
Starting Monday, the C919 will fly between Shanghai and the southwestern city of Chengdu, according to CCTV.
The first C919, which seats 164 passengers, was officially delivered to Eastern Airlines in December.
In January, Zhang Yujin, deputy general manager of COMAC, told the semi-official Chinese newspaper, The Paper, that the company had received more than 1,200 orders for the C919.
Zhang said at the time that COMAC plans to increase its annual production capacity to 150 aircraft within 5 years.
The countries of the continent of Asia and China in particular are major targets for the European company "Airbus" and its American competitor "Boeing", which are looking to benefit from the growing demand for air travel from the Chinese middle class.
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