The Chinese C919 aircraft, intended to compete with Airbus and Boeing, has made its first flight.

The C919 passenger aircraft, developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), completed its first international commercial flight on Wednesday, taking off from Beijing Capital International Airport to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

This represents a significant milestone in China's efforts to create an alternative to Boeing and Airbus. The flight will be operated daily, but the C919 faces challenges, considering it relies on foreign components and has not obtained certification from regulatory authorities in the US and Europe.

Although China has a vast aviation market, airlines continue to depend on Western aircraft, and COMAC delivered only 15 C919 planes last year, far below the proposed target. Analysts emphasize that the slow production pace and the complexity of the supply chain pose major obstacles to effectively competing with industry giants.