Narrow-body aircraft

Boeing's safety troubles and the Airbus scramble to ramp up production should have left a gap for smaller rivals to challenge their dominatiion of the commercial airliner market.

China's first domestically produced passenger jet, the C919, took off on its maiden commercial flight on Sunday, a milestone event in the nation's decades-long effort to compete with Western rivals in the air.    

China Eastern Airlines flight MU9191 rose into the skies above Shanghai Hongqiao Airport just after 10:30 a.m., footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed.    

The aircraft industry descends on Paris for the world's biggest airshow, a prime battleground for bitter rivals Boeing and Airbus, but also a chance for new kids on the block to snap at the heels of the two giants.

The first large made-in-China passenger plane successfully completed its maiden test flight on May 5, marking a key milestone on the country's ambitious journey to compete with the world's leading aircraft makers.

China's first big passenger plane rolled off the assembly line on Nov. 2 as the Asian giant seeks the prestige of having its own aviation sector, and to challenge foreign giants Airbus and Boeing for market share.