China-designed passenger plane to launch this year

A model of the Comac C919 passenger plane, which is built by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), is displayed on the first day of the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai. [Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING - China is set to roll out its second domestically-designed passenger plane before the end of the year, as its manufacturers prepare for a test flight.

The engine for the C919, which has 150 seats and was designed for short-haul commercial use, was delivered on Wednesday from international aerospace company CFM International.

"Delivery of this engine paves the way for the final assembly and rollout of the first C919 aircraft later this year," said Wu Guanghui, vice president of the State-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, which began developing the plane in 2008.

China is also developing its own engine for the C919, with plans to use these in the model from 2020, according to an industry insider.

China's first domestically-designed passenger plane was the Shanghai Y-10.