Chinas first domestically-built plane debuts

Chinas first indigenously built passenger aircraft C919 on Sunday successfully completed its first commercial flight, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market as part of the countrys bid to compete with Western rivals like Boeing and Airbus.

The first commercial flight of C919 from the eastern metropolis of Shanghai to Beijing was operated by the state-run China Eastern Airlines.

The plane carried 128 passengers on board. The flight time between Shanghai and Beijing was about two hours and twenty-five minutes, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The C919 is Chinas first self-developed trunk jetliner in accordance with international airworthiness standards and owns independent .