China’s first locally-made airliner debuts in Singapore

China’s C919, a challenger to Airbus and Boeing’s passenger jets, made its first trip outside China territory at the Singapore Airshow on Sunday, Reuters reported.

The narrow-body aircraft is manufactured by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). China has invested significantly in its efforts to compete with the dominant Western planemakers in the global passenger market.

The C919 showcased alongside Airbus at a Sunday preview for Asia’s biggest air show, while Boeing did not display a commercial aircraft this year.

The country has expressed intention to advance the C919 and expand COMAC’s presence both domestically and internationally this year.

According to Chinese media reports, COMAC plans to invest tens of billions of yuan over the next 3-5 years to expand C919 production capacity.

Currently, the plane is only certified for use within China, and the first of four C919s began flying with China Eastern Airlines last year.

China’s aviation authority announced last month that it will pursue European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) validation for the C919 this year, a process that began in 2018.

COMAC has two passenger products: the ARJ21 regional jet and the larger C919 twin-engine narrow-body airliner with 158-192 seats, which competes with the established Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX 8 models.