C919 taking off to new heights

First domestically built large passenger plane shoulders China's commercial aviation ambitions

China is gearing up to become a force in the global aviation market with its own large passenger aircraft. The homegrown C919 narrow-body jet has underlined the country's ambitious commercial aviation program, and it is set to provide a major impetus to domestic airplane manufacturing.

In 2018, the C919 will enter the phase of obtaining airworthiness certification in China after achieving a number of milestones in the past year, including the successful flights of two test aircraft, among the six planned in total.