On May 5, 2017, China's domestic narrow-body airliner, the C919, took to the skies in Shanghai, marking a great improvement of the country's innovative capability and technological advancement in the aviation and aerospace industry.

With the flight, China became the fourth jumbo jet producer after the U.S., Europe and Russia. It also marked a milestone for the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the Shanghai-based manufacturer of the C919.

The "C" in the aircraft's name stands for both China and COMAC, while 9 symbolizes "forever" in Chinese culture, and 19 represents the plane's maximum capacity of 190 seats.

The twin-engine plane departed from Shanghai Pudong International Airport with five crew members on board but no passengers.

With a standard range of 4,075 kilometers, the narrow-body jet is comparable to the updated Airbus 320 and Boeing's new generation 737 planes, signaling China's entry into the global aviation market as a strong competitor.

In 2007, the State Council approved plans to develop a Chinese large passenger jet. In November 2015, the first C919 jet rolled off the assembly line.