China 's new superjet will take to the skies for the first time in test flights later this year . The C919 , built by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China ( COMAC ) , will be the country 's most ambitious effort to date to break into the global aircraft market . The latest pictures have shown the final assembly work on the nation 's first single-aisle airliner , which is currently under construction in Shanghai , is well underway . Progress : The C919 , built by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China ( COMAC ) , will be the country 's most ambitious effort to date to break into the global aircraft market . Connected : Assembly of the first prototype airframe is almost complete from nose through to the tail , and the wing-to-body join has also been done . Developed : The single-aisle twin-engine jetliner has been designed to go head-to-head with Boeing 's 737 and Airbus A320 in the lucrative aviation market . High tech : The cockpit will feature all of the latest technological advances as China seeks to break into the lucrative aviation market . The single-aisle twin-engine jetliner has been designed to go head-to-head with Boeing 's 737 and Airbus A320 in the lucrative aviation market . Assembly of the first prototype airframe is almost complete , says People 's Daily , with the main landing gear and forward landing gear also now installed . Some major works - such as the installation of the avionics , flight control and hydraulics systems - are still to be completed . COMAC C919 . Wingspan : 35.4 metres . Cruise speed : Mach 0.76 . Maximum altitude : 12,100 metres . Passengers : 168 . BOEING 737 : . Wingspan : 35.8 metres . Cruise speed : Mach 0.74 . Maximum altitude : 12,500 metres . Passengers : 210 . The various systems will then have to be fully integrated and rigorously tested before the test flight , which is scheduled to happen before the end of this year . The various parts of the aircraft - including the nose , front and middle fuselage , wings and tail sections - were designed by the corporation and manufactured in Chengdu , Shenyang and Harbin . COMAC are reported to have already secured more than 450 orders from 18 different customers , most of which are believed to be local airlines and leasing firms . The manufacturer is targeting 2017 for C919 certification , with first deliveries also scheduled for that year . China is keen to develop a successful commercial aircraft to prove it can match the developed industries of the United States and Europe . Airbus has forecast that China 's domestic aviation market will become the world 's biggest within the next decade . China ’ s air-passenger traffic will increase 8 % annually from 2013 to 2032 - compared with an expected global annual growth rate of 4.8 % - as many more affluent Chinese passengers take to the skies . It is hoped that an official date for the first test flight will be announced in the near future . Almost there : Chinese technicians rivet sections of the fuselage together as they assemble China 's first domestically-made passenger jet plane the C919 . Comfort : A man tests a business class seat in a model on the first day of the COMAC C919 . Final preparations : China is keen to develop a successful commercial aircraft to prove it can match the developed industries of the United States and Europe . Futuristic : It has been forecast that China 's domestic aviation market will become the world 's biggest within the next decade .
The C919 superjet will take on giants of global aviation - Boeing 's 737 and the Airbus A320 . It is expected to be able to carry more than double its current load with a range that could reach up to 8,500km (3,100 miles) at cruising altitude or 7,200km (4,200 miles). More than 450 orders for the high-tech aircraft are already in place from 18 different airlines .