Homegrown jet's commercial debut brings new opportunities for China's aviation industry

As China's first indigenously developed large jetliner has entered commercial service, the country's aviation industry and its supporting sectors will see tremendous market opportunities in the coming decades, analysts and industry experts have said. The C919, a single-aisle aircraft designed by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC), completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market. "The successful commercial debut of the C919 means that China's homegrown jet has gained access to the mainstream 150-to-200-seat, single-aisle trunk aircraft market, one of the most competitive markets in civil aviation," aviation expert Han Tao told Securities Daily. Launched in 2007, the C919 project saw its first aircraft roll off the production line in 2015. In 2017, the model had its successful maiden flight. The C919 plane was put into regular service by China Eastern Airlines on Monday, flying between Shanghai and Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The airline said that with new planes arriving, the model will gradually operate on more routes.<br/>