China’s indigenous C919 Jetliner manufactured by COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corp of China) will take its maiden passenger flight in March. This flight will be a major milestone for China as it will mark the beginning of an independent Chinese Aviation Sector. 

China Eastern Airlines will be the first carrier to fly the homemade aircraft. While many other domestic airlines are vying for the jetliner, foreign nations like Nigeria have already expressed their interest in the aircraft. 

Nigerian Aviation minister stated that the country would consider purchasing the C919 aircraft, once it officially joins the aviation fleet of China.   

Currently, the medium-range aircraft is undergoing its 100-hour mandatory verification flight process which started on December 26. To date, the aircraft has flown to 9 cities and 10 airports, the latest flight being on January 28, from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to Nanchang Changbei International Airport in Jiangxi Province. 

C919 is expected to complete its verification flight by February, after which it will receive the final validation and inspection results from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Once approved the aircraft will fly major routes like Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Kunming, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Shenzhen. 

China Eastern Airlines has already trained nine pilots and twenty-four flight attendants to fly the C919. The company has also trained thirteen maintenance personnel including flight engineers to work on the indigenous aircraft and is in the process of training the second batch of personnel for the same.  

China is the most populous country and the second-largest aviation market in the world. Hence, it makes sense for the government to leverage the advantage of the domestic aviation market and compete with international players. Once in operation, the C919 Jetliner will put Beijing on the global aviation map and help to end the duopoly of the international aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus.   

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