Xinhua further reported that tests on the plane would continue for 3 years before it is out to commercial use.
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China will become the world’s largest domestic aviation market in the next decade, an Airbus forecast said.
It will be tricky for an upstart airframe to make much headway into global markets, where Airbus and Boeing have huge market share, but with many Chinese airlines owned by the government – which, not coincidentally, also owns COMAC – there is a built-in market for the plane.
China Central Television, the country’s national TV station, was given special permission to board the first C919 jet at the ceremony and filmed the interiors.
The cabin remained largely empty and was padded with a layer of cotton insulation. COMAC says it has 517 orders for the plane from 21 different customers.
The airline industry in China is getting bigger and bigger.
As well as hundreds of industry experts at the presentation, celebrities where there to show support, including retired Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang.
“This strong demand in China for the A330 has been the key driver behind our decision to set up an A330 Completion and Delivery Centre in Tianjin, China next to the A320 Family final assembly line and delivery centre in Tianjin, which has assembled and delivered more than 240 Airbus single aisle aircraft”. Only three Y-10s were ever made.
Aside from the C919, COMAC is now on test flight phase for its 90-seater ARJ and also plans to work United Aircraft Corporation based on Russian Federation to develop the C929.
Speculation is mounting that China will create a new aero-engine entity to try to produce the powerful jets needed for large civil aircraft.
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China’s latest venture in passenger travel is in the air.
