China's first big passenger plane takes off for maiden flight

China's first big passenger plane takes off for maiden flight.

The C919 is designed to be a direct competitor to Boeing's 737 and the Airbus A320.

BBC report

Looks like all small airliners, but is this a Boeing and Airbus killer if the price is really half the price of the competition? I was wondering whether the price will produce a loss per plane, but the state-owned manufacturer (Comac) will cover the loss because they are chasing market share, rather than profit and competitive practices.

If playing the long-game, then short term loss and market disruption is a good price to pay.

So, is this a serious threat to Airbus and Boeing, or is this just a gimmick and China will be unable to beak into the market?

if their airplanes are made to the same quality standards as everything else that`s made in china I don`t think airbus and boeing have anything to worry about.

originally posted by: Tardacus
if their airplanes are made to the same quality standards as everything else that`s made in china I don`t think airbus and boeing have anything to worry about.

I think they will primary target the domestic market, which is predicted to grow massively in the coming years.

"A pilot knows clearly the condition of a plane. He knows very well whether it will work

And how does a pilot know all of this? Did Sully know the condition of his plane? That statement makes no sense. Still neat that they are making them themselves. But I sure as hell would not get on one.

a reply to: paraphi

It will see the same problem as the SuperJet. It may very well turn out to be a good aircraft, but the market is going to be extremely reluctant to move away from Boeing and Airbus simply because they're known quantities.

Some video of the plane.



Inside the planned aircraft,

a reply to: paraphi

I think they took on the wrong market to be really successful outside a handful of state sponsored airlines. The 737 and the A320 are the juggernauts of that market and most airlines are set up infrastructure wise to cater to those two. If they really wanted to have a shot at a larger market share they should have tried a shorter regional jet market like the MRJ is in.
And on a personal note, even though my company makes brake parts for it, I honestly don't want it to be successful because of its ties to the CCP.