BEIJING/SYDNEY, Sept 30 (Reuters) – China held a ceremony on Thursday to certify its C919 narrowbody passenger jet, photos on social media showed, representing a major milestone in the country’s ambitions to challenge Airbus and Boeing in commercial aerospace.

The plane, produced by state-owned manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), had been widely expected to be certified by the end of the month after two aircraft flew to Beijing on Sept. 13. A sign in one of the photos said “C919 aircraft type certificate issuance ceremony” in Chinese.

COMAC did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

The C919, launched 14 years ago and designed to carry up to 168 passengers, will compete against the popular Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX families in the world’s second-biggest aviation market as China looks to boost its technological self-reliance amid trade tensions.

Reuters
Photo COMAC