Chinese plane leaves mainland for first time

China's domestically produced C919 will make its first flight outside the mainland next week, when it takes part in an exhibition in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said on December 5 that the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac)'s C919 narrow-body aircraft and ARJ-21 jet will participate in the air show in Hong Kong next week. During their stay, the two aircraft will be on display at Hong Kong International Airport. The C919 will also conduct a demonstration flight over Victoria Harbour.

The event was organized by the Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong (CAD) and the Airport Authority of Hong Kong (AAHK). The aim was to promote mainland China's achievements in aircraft manufacturing and strengthen Hong Kong's position as an international aviation hub.

This is the first time the C919 has flown outside mainland China. After 14 years of development, the Comac C919 was certified by China at the end of September 2022. This is a narrow-body aircraft, with a capacity of 158-169 passengers and a range of more than 5,500 km. The C919 competes with the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320.

China Eastern Airlines C919. Photo: China News Service

Beijing hopes the C919 will help reduce China's dependence on foreign technology, with the government aiming for a 10% domestic market share by 2025.

This aircraft was mentioned by Chinese President Xi Jinping in a 2017 report. He called it the driving force behind China's "new development model" along with other scientific and technological achievements.

The C919 also puts China in the small group of countries that can design and manufacture their own aircraft, including the US, Russia, Brazil, Canada, the UK, France and Germany. Last month, Comac launched new versions of the plane.

Analysts believe that Comac wants to use the event in Hong Kong to promote its name and seek international customers for the C919. The ARJ-21 is already operating in Indonesia. However, the C919 has no international customers yet.

The C919 has already received more than 1,000 orders. Deliveries will take years. China Eastern Airlines is the first and main buyer of the plane, ordering another 100 in September, worth about $10 billion.

Comac revealed that it currently has a wide range of aircraft, from small, narrow-body aircraft for short and medium-haul flights to wide-body aircraft for long-haul flights. The company is designing the C929 for intercontinental flights, with 250-350 seats and a range of 12,000 km.

Ha Thu (according to Bloomberg, Dimsum Daily)

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