The Comac C919 narrowbody lifted off from Shanghai Pudong International airport's fourth runway at 14:00 local time, marking its maiden sortie seven years into its development.

Comac

Onboard aircraft B-001A as it took off on an overcast Shanghai day are a team of five. In the cockpit are flight test captain Cai Jun, co-pilot Wuxi and flight observer Qian Jun. In the cabin are two flight test engineers – Zhang Da Wei and Ma Fei.

The first flight will lasts about 1.5 hours, during which the CFM International Leap-1C-powered aircraft's landing gear will not be retracted, Comac's flight test manager You Li Yan told reporters in Shanghai. The aircraft is expected to reach an altitude of 10,000ft.

The first flight was witnessed by more than 2,000 guests, staff and journalists. The event, graced by Chinese politicians, was also broadcasted on the country's main television networks.

You says the pilots have been tasked to check 15 parameters during the maiden sortie. These include testing the aircraft's flight control response, verifying the functionality of various systems, and to cross-check that the test equipment are providing accurate data and information.

Most importantly, he adds, the pilots will get to "have a sense of flight control", for a feel of the 158-seater jet.The aircraft has been fitted with test equipment, but pictures released by Comac also show passenger seats in the cabin.

The Chinese manufacturer has allocated 4,200 flight test hours for the C919's test programme, and is targeting for the aircraft to enter into service within three years.

Comac has so far secured commitments for 570 of the type, with Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines as its launch customer.</s>The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) said on Wednesday the maiden flight for the C919, China's first domestically-produced large passenger plane, is scheduled for May 5.

The maiden flight will take place in the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, subject to weather conditions, COMAC said. State media agency Xinhua earlier on Wednesday reported the maiden flight's date.

Reuters, quoting sources, had reported last month that China planned to stage the maiden C919 flight on or around May 5.</s>Shortly before the aircraft took off, C919 chief designer Wu Guanghui was formally presented with the necessary special flight permit that the Civil Aviation Administration of China had issued on April 22.

The crew—test pilot Cai Jun, first officer Wu Xin, observer Qian Jin and flight engineers Ma Fei and Zhang Dawei— emerge from the aircraft after the flight.

The aircraft returned after a 79-min. flight conducted within about 100 km (60 mi.) of Shanghai Pudong. The highest speed attained was 315 kph (170 kt.), says Comac.

The C919 is powered by the CFM Leap 1C engine. It is dimensionally similar to the Airbus A320 and designed to seat 158 passengers in a standard two-class cabin arrangement.

The first flight has come nine years after program launch. A first delivery before 2020 is unlikely.

The C919 prototype rotates for takeoff on the type’s first flight amid hazy weather at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

The Comac C919 narrowbody airliner flew for the first time on May 5, taking off from Shanghai for a 79-min. flight that took it to an altitude of 3,000 m (10,000 ft.). The flight achieved all test objectives, says Comac.</s>China is touting the C919 as a rival to single-aisle jet... . China's home-grown C919 passenger jet is seen at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport ahead of its scheduled maiden flight in Shanghai, China, Friday, May 5, 2017.

Start the conversation, or Read more at CBS 3 Springfield.</s>The first large Chinese-made passenger airliner has completed its maiden test flight, a milestone in China's long-term goal to break into the Western-dominated aircraft market. The take-off of the C919 bought cheers and applause from hundreds of invited guests at Shanghai Pudong International Airport and was broadcast live on state television.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Ealing Times.</s>Chinese-made large passenger jet takes off on milestone maiden flight from Shanghai.</s>Beijing: China's first large homemade passenger jet, touted as a competitor to Boeing and Airbus, made its maiden flight on Friday, heralding the Communist giant's entry into the highly-competitive global aviation sector.

The 158-seater C919 aircraft took to the skies from Shanghai Pudong International Airport in eastern China and made the country the fourth jumbo jet producer after the US, Europe and Russia, the state media reported.

The twin-engine plane departed with five crew members on board but without any passengers.

"The maiden flight was exciting," said Wu Guanghui, C919's chief designer, adding that it was a major breakthrough in China's civil aviation history, as well as the start of a new era of advanced manufacturing in the country.

The "C" in the aircraft's name stands for both China and COMAC, while 9 symbolises "forever" in Chinese culture and 19 represents the maximum 190 seats capacity.

With a standard range of 4,075 kilometres, the narrow-body jet is comparable with updated Airbus 320 and Boeing's new generation 737, signalling the country's entry into the global aviation market, Xinhua news agency reported.

It also marks a milestone for the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the Shanghai-based manufacturer of the C919, it said.

China's first amphibious aircraft, stated to be the largest in the world, successfully conducted its first glide test on April 29 in Chinese city of Zhuhai and braced for its maiden flight.

China began to develop its own jumbo passenger jets in the 1970s and the first one, the Y-10, had a successful test flight in 1980. But the project was abandoned later.

In 2007, the State Council, China's Cabinet, approved plans to develop a large passenger jet. In November 2015, the first C919 jet rolled off the assembly line.

The plane passed expert technical appraisal this March. The aircraft was given the go-ahead in April to begin a series of high-speed taxiing tests, the final step before its maiden flight. More than 200,000 technicians worked on the project.

The jet was designed and produced in China and made with resources from around the world. It is an achievement in global cooperation, said Wu. The C919 incorporates parts from over 30 global suppliers such as Honeywell International Inc. Its engines were made by a joint venture between General Electric and Safran Aircraft Engines.

Both Airbus and Boeing have assembly plants in China considering the growing demand for new aircraft. Airbus had delivered 153 aircraft to Chinese operators in 2016, its seventh consecutive year of more than 100 deliveries, Airbus China said earlier this year.

A recent Boeing forecast said that China will need 6,810 new aircraft in the next 20 years at an estimated cost of USD one trillion.

By the end of 2016, 21 customers had placed orders for more than 500 C919 aircraft, and COMAC expects to sell at least 2,000.</s>The first large Chinese-made passenger airliner has completed its maiden test flight, a milestone in China’s long-term goal to break into the Western-dominated aircraft market.

The take-off of the C919 bought cheers and applause from hundreds of invited guests at Shanghai Pudong International Airport and was broadcast live on state television.

The jet soon became invisible on a windy and polluted day in Shanghai, which was also in the path of dense sandstorms from the north.

After the one-and-a-half hour flight, the test pilots came smiling from the plane, wearing orange overalls with the Chinese flag.

With the flight, the official Xinhua News Agency said China had become “one of the world’s top makers of jumbo aircraft”, the fourth large jet producer after the US, Europe and Russia.

China is touting the C919 as a rival to single-aisle jets such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.

It was originally due to begin flying in 2014 and be delivered to buyers in 2016, but has been beset by delays blamed on manufacturing problems.

It is now unlikely to carry commercial passengers until at least 2019.

State-owned manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, or Comac, will seek certification from the civil aviation authority and foreign regulators before making any deliveries.

Bao Pengli, deputy director of Comac’s project management department, said it planned to make two planes a year from now to 2019 to obtain proof of safe flight before mass production.

Comac says it has 570 orders from 23 domestic and foreign customers, with most from state-owned Chinese airlines.

The handful of foreign customers includes GE Capital Aviation Services and Thailand’s City Airways.

The plane can be configured with 155-175 seats and has a standard flight length of 4,075km (2,530m).

Boeing forecasts that an annual 6% growth in China’s air passenger traffic over the next two decades will create demand for 6,810 new planes worth a trillion dollars. Of the new planes, 75% are expected to be single-aisle.</s>The maiden flight of the C919, China's first domestically built large passenger jet, is scheduled for May 5, the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) said in a state news agency Xinhua report. The flight will depart from Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

It was reported earlier this week that COMAC had planned the maiden flight for May 6.

“If weather conditions are not suitable, the maiden flight will be rescheduled,” COMAC said.

The CFM Leap 1C-powered C919 is designed to seat 158 passengers in a standard two-class configuration.

When the much-delayed C919 program was launched in 2008, first delivery was scheduled for 2016. Launch operator China Eastern Airlines is now unlikely to receive its first aircraft before 2020.</s>China’s first indigenous passenger jet made its maiden flight on Friday, Reuters reported. This marks the Asian giant’s entry into the highly-competitive global aviation sector which is dominated by Boeing and Airbus.

The 158-seater C919 aircraft took off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport in eastern China, making the country the fourth after the United States, Europe and Russia to manufacture aircraft. The 80-minute flight was greeted with applause by more than 1,000 spectators on the tarmac, including Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai and Shanghai Party chief Han Zheng.

The twin-engine plane had five crew members and no passengers. “The maiden flight was exciting,” said Wu Guanghui, C919’s chief designer, adding that it was a major breakthrough in China’s civil aviation history, as well as the start of a new era of advanced manufacturing in the country.

The “C” in the aircraft’s name stands for both China and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, while 9 symbolises “forever” in Chinese culture and 19 represents the maximum 190 seats capacity.

The narrow- body jet is comparable with the updated Airbus 320 and Boeing’s new generation 737, signalling the country’s entry into the global aviation market, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

The aircraft is part of the “Made in China 2025,” a project to make China a global manufacturing power.
The Comac C919 makes its maiden flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China.