China unveils first large passenger aircraft c919

As China’s first domestically-produced large passenger aircraft, C919, was unveiled Monday, President Xi Jinping expressed his congratulations to developers and called for careful preparation for a maiden flight.

Xi said in an instruction that safety and quality of the aircraft should be prioritized during the preparation for the first flight, which is scheduled for next year.

The C919 plane was developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) and, when it is cleared for commercial use, is expected to compete with the updated Airbus 320 and Boeing’s new-generation 737.