China unveils homegrown passenger jet plane

SHANGHAI: China unveiled a prototype of its first homegrown passenger jet that it hopes will compete with airliners from Boeing and Airbus, setting the stage for the plane’s first flight sometime next year.

A crowd of several thousand gathered on Monday as Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, also known as Comac, rolled out the single-aisle C919 airliner at the company’s manufacturing and assembly center in Pudong, near Shanghai’s main airport. The plane emerged from layers of red curtains with gold trimming to great applause and patriotic songs blaring from the sound system.

“The air transportation industry of China cannot completely rely on imports,” Li Jiaxiang, head of China’s civil aviation administration, said in a speech. “A great nation must have its own large commercial aircraft.”

China’s focus on a homegrown aerospace industry is part of a broader push to elevate its economy into the ranks of advanced industrialised nations by 2020. With a capacity for 168 passengers, the C919 aims to challenge the dominance of the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 in the market for planes with more than 100 seats.

Comac said on Monday it has received 517 purchase commitments for the plane. Nearly all are from Chinese customers, with only 21 orders from overseas.

The first C919 rolled through the hangar with its wings above the heads of the cheering crowd, many of whom waved flags.