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China displayed its aircraft-manufacturing credentials by conducting a flyby of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour with a domestically made passenger plane designed to take on Airbus SE and Boeing Co. narrowbodies.
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Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd., the official name of planemaker Comac, flew its C919 jet around the harbor in two loops on Saturday morning, going as low as 700 feet (213 meters), according to FlightRadar24's live data.
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The last major new aircraft to do a low-altitude Victoria Harbour flyby was an Airbus SE A380 in 2007.
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A welcome ceremony for the C919 and another Chinese-made jet, the ARJ21, was held at the Hong Kong international airport on Wednesday, a day after both flew into Hong Kong for the first time.
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Comac says it has received 1,061 orders for its C919. Only three are operating commercially so far, domestically in China.
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Comac secured a $9.9 billion deal from China Eastern Airlines Corp. for 100 C919s in September, in addition to five already ordered. The latest delivery to the Shanghai-based carrier took place on December 9, exactly a year after the first.
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The C919 project started in 2007, but it wasn't until May this year that it made its first commercial flight. Since then, it has flown for no more than five hours a day between Shanghai and Chengdu, FlightRadar24 data show.
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John Lee, center, Hong Kong Chief Executive, poses for photographs with guests during the welcome ceremony in front of the Chinese-made C919 displayed at the Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, on Wednesday, Dec. 13.
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While the C919 is made in China, it relies on parts from a range of foreign suppliers, including Liebherr-Holding Gmbh, CFM International Inc. and Honeywell International Inc.
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The narrow-bodied C919 airliner was in development for 16 years and received certification in 2022. It has a maximum range of about 3,500 miles (5,630 kilometers) and is designed to carry 158-168 passengers. The plane made its maiden commercial flight in May from Shanghai to Beijing.
Image Credit: AP