China marks maiden commercial voyage of first domestically produced passenger jet

May 28 (UPI) -- China on Sunday celebrated the maiden commercial voyage of its first domestically produced passenger jet, a significant milestone for the country seeking to compete with the West.

The Chinese state-owned manufacturer Comac's development of the C919 airliner began as far back as 2007 with the first flight in development in May 2017.

The first delivery of the planes was made to China Eastern Airlines in December 2022, which operated the first commercial voyage Sunday.

"C919's maiden commercial flight was celebrated by the water salute. Keep up the good work, step by step -- maybe small but steady forward," Hua Chunying, China's assistant foreign affairs minister, said in a statement.

Data from the flight tracker Flight Radar shows that flight MU9191 from Shanghai landed successfully in Beijing after a nearly two-hour trek.

According to China's government-run news agency Xinhua, there were 128 passengers on board. The jet can seat 164 passengers.

"The first commercial flight is a coming-of-age ceremony of the new aircraft," said Zhang Xiaoguang, director of the marketing and sales department of Comac. "C919 will get better and better if it stands the test of the market."