Third prototype of China’s C919 jet completes test flight

BEIJING: A third prototype of China’s home-built C919 narrow body passenger jet completed its first test flight on Friday, its manufacturer said, in another step forward in the nation’s push to become a global civil aerospace player. The C919, which will compete with Boeing Co’s 737 and the Airbus SE A320, is widely regarded as a symbol of China’s civil aerospace ambition and President Xi Jinping’s policy of upgrading manufacturing capabilities. In a statement on its official microblog, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd (COMAC) said the plane landed safely at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 12:45 pm (0445 GMT), having flown for 1 hour and 38 minutes. The jet will next fly to the city of Xian in central China for more test flights with a focus on aircraft flutter and airspeed calibration, the company said. — Reuters