China's C919 twin-engine airliner completed its first pre-delivery test flight, moving it closer to entering service with launch customer China Eastern Airlines.
The C919's entry into service has faced certification delays, pushing its expected debut to later this year.
Its reported price of $99 million is significantly higher than expected and above competing models like the Boeing 737-8 and Airbus A320neo.
China’s C919 twin-engine airliner has flown its first pre-delivery test flight, moving the new narrowbody type a step closer to entering service.
The three-hour flight took place Saturday at Shanghai Pudong International Airport (ZSPD), the main hub for launch customer China Eastern Airlines, according to the manufacturer, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.
