China's third prototype of C919 jet completes first test flight

The third prototype of China's home-built passenger jet C919 during its first test flight at Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China. [Photo: Reuters]

BEIJING- A third prototype of China’s home-built C919 narrowbody passenger jet completed its first test flight on Friday, its manufacturer said, in another step forward in the nation’s push to become a global civil aerospace player.

The C919, which will compete with Boeing Co’s 737 and the Airbus SE A320, is widely regarded as a symbol of China’s civil aerospace ambition and President Xi Jinping’s policy of upgrading manufacturing capabilities.