China's first large passenger jet debuts ahead of long wait for deliveries

China’s first large passenger jet, the twin-engine C919 airliner, made its debut on Monday, with company executives saying that flight testing should start next year, with deliveries expected in 2018 at the earliest, The Wall Street Journal reported. Those estimates may prove overly optimistic if history is any indication, as the first flight of the twin-engine jet, developed by the state-run Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China, was originally set for 2014 ahead of commercial deliveries in 2016. Production setbacks forced the firm to repeatedly extend its deadlines, and it has still yet to disclose list prices for the C919.