Troubled Chinese Airliner Finally Slated For First Commercial Flight

Building a commercial airliner is a task so monumental that there are only two significant manufacturers in the world, Airbus and Boeing. However, the People’s Republic of China hopes to break into the multi-billion dollar market with its first domestically-produced large passenger aircraft, the Comac C919. After 14 years of development and questionable acquisition of foreign intellectual property, the airliner is set to make its first commercial flight this weekend.

China Eastern Airlines received the first C919 last December and it has been the only one delivered so far. According to Reuters, China Eastern will finally use the airliner in revenue service on a 10:45 a.m. flight from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to Beijing Capital Airport this Sunday. The landmark flight will be appropriately numbered MU9191. And with any momentous occasion of national importance, a stamp has already been commissioned to commemorate the flight.

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