China-designed passenger plane to launch this year; manufacturers prepare test flight

BEIJING: China is set to roll out its second domestically-designed passenger plane before the end of the year, as its manufacturers prepare for a test flight.

The engine for the C919, which has 150 seats and was designed for a short-haul commercial use, was delivered yesterday by international aerospace firm CFM International, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today.

"Delivery of this engine paves the way for the final assembly and rollout of the first C919 aircraft later this year," said Wu Guanghui, vice president of state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, which began developing the plane in 2008.

China is also developing its own engine for the C919, with plans to use these in the model from 2020, according to an industry insider. It has high hopes for the C919 in the lucrative narrow-body market.

China's first domestically-designed passenger plane was the Shanghai Y-10.