(Yicai Global) Nov. 22 -- China Eastern Airlines, the first carrier to order the C919 aircraft, will be the first to operate the country's first self-developed large passenger plane by June next year.

The C919 has met the regulatory requirements of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and it is ready to fly in the first half of 2023, Wang Jian, China Eastern’s board secretary, said on an earnings call yesterday.

In March last year, China Eastern inked a deal with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China to purchase five C919 jets. The Shanghai-based carrier will take delivery of the first this year, with the other four expected in 2023 or 2024, Wang noted.

Deliveries of the C919 mark the introduction of a third competitor in the narrow-body airliner market dominated by Boeing and Airbus.

A C919 in China Eastern’s livery and with the words ‘The World’s First C919’ printed near the cabin hatch underwent a taxiing test at Shanghai Pudong International Airport yesterday.

China Eastern will also buy new China-made ARJ21 regional planes, Wang said, adding that the company already operated 11 of them as of last month, with stable results overall.

At the recent China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, Comac received orders for 330 China-made aircraft -- 300 C919s and 30 ARJ21s for overseas operation -- from seven leasing companies. China Development Bank Leasing, ICBC leasing, and CCB Financial Leasing were among the buyers.

China's aircraft fleet will exceed 10,000 by 2041, accounting for 21 percent of the global total, making it the world's largest aviation market, according to a Comac report released during the airshow.

Editor: Martin Kadiev