The first-ever C919, China's first domestically developed narrow-body passenger jet, was delivered to China Eastern Airlines in Shanghai on Friday and is expected to be put into commercial operation next spring, a significant milestone in the development of China's aviation manufacturing industry.

On Friday morning at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, C919's manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, or COMAC, delivered the aircraft sales certificate and the commemorative key to China Eastern. The Civil Aviation Administration of China, or CAAC, issued the airworthiness certificate to the carrier.

The first C919 has a layout of 164 seats, including eight seats in business class and 156 seats in economy class. After the delivery, it took off from Pudong airport and landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport amid the traditional welcome of a water salute.

Based on the initial approval of the CAAC, China Eastern also needs to carry out more than 100 hours of test flights to verify and confirm the operational safety, maintenance reliability and various operational support capabilities of the aircraft, as the C919 is the first such model globally.

Later, China Eastern plans to put the C919 into commercial service in cities such as Shanghai; Beijing; Xi'an, Shaanxi province; Kunming, Yunnan province; and Guangzhou, Guangdong province. A total of 24 pilots will serve as the first group to operate the C919, the carrier said.

COMAC said the domestic large aircraft industry has entered a new journey of development, and it is of great significance in promoting cooperation and innovation in the global aviation industry chain.

Comparable to the Airbus A320 and the Boeing B737 series, the C919 is expected to break the duopoly of Boeing and Airbus. The two manufacturers both sent congratulations on the delivery of the first C919, and they hope to jointly contribute to the long-term sustainable development of the aviation industry.

So far, the C919 has netted 1,115 orders from home and abroad. In March 2021, China Eastern officially purchased the first batch of five C919s, and other planes it bought are expected to be delivered in 2023 and 2024.

Zhang Chi, deputy general manager of the cabin department of China Eastern, who took the very first flight, said the comfort and stability of the aircraft are excellent. Compared with other planes he has flown in, the C919 is above standard and there was little noise during the flight.

Yu Zhanfu, partner and vice-president of the China unit at consultancy Roland Berger, said: "COMAC is expected to enter a stage of comprehensively raising its hard power and soft power. The manufacturing industrial park in Shanghai is expected to officially speed up its operations and gradually become a high-tech manufacturing base in Shanghai and even in the Yangtze River Delta region."