Chinese manufacturers hope the C919 jet, which debuted at the Singapore Air Show on Tuesday, will help the country catch up with manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus. File photo: Ming De China Out/EPA
February 20 (UPI) — Chinese manufacturers hope the C919 jet, which debuted at the Singapore Air Show on Tuesday, will help the country catch up with manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus.
China, which has lagged behind the United States in aircraft manufacturing for decades, has invested heavily in producing new aircraft.
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The C919 is manufactured by the China Civil Aviation Corporation and carries just under 200 passengers. Currently, the aircraft is only certified to fly in China through China Eastern Airlines.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Liu Daxiang, deputy director of the Science and Technology Committee of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic), said that China lacked experience in developing civil aero engines.
Shukor Yusov, founder of aviation industry tracking firm Endau Analytics, told CNN that the C919 will be the “most scrutinized aircraft” at the Singapore Air Show.
Boeing announced it will be absent from this week’s show due to ongoing manufacturing issues.