Some people avoid buying a new model of car on the basis that it may be unreliable. But Chinese air passengers nevertheless clamoured for seats in the first commercial flight of the homegrown C919 airliner on Sunday. That augurs well for future sales of the jet. Beijing hopes it will challenge the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing.It took the state-backed Commercial Aviation Corp of China 15 years to bring the 164-seater jet into service. China Eastern Airlines was the first buyer and is using the aircraft to fly between Beijing and Shanghai.
China has long needed an alternative to US manufacturer Boeing, which has close links to the US government. No Chinese airline has bought a Boeing commercial passenger plane for six years, reflecting escalating geopolitical tensions with Washington.
The narrow-bodied jets, however, fail a full self-sufficiency test. The C919 relies heavily on components made in Europe and the US, including engines and electronic equipment. Suppliers include French aviation group Safran and General Electric of the US.