China's first batch production of the C919 passenger plane is set to enter its final assembly, said the country's aviation regulator on Monday.

The phased progress marks a milestone in the C919 program since the batch production of the aircraft launched in 2019, the East China Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on its official WeChat account. 

The C919 program's Production Certificate Board (PCB) met in Shanghai on September 10 and reviewed the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's (COMAC) reports on batch producing the jet, the CAAC said.

The first of five homemade jetliners is expected to be delivered to China Eastern Airlines by the end of the year.

COMAC won its first-ever commercial contract for the C919 in March.

The regulators said the PCB has also approved proposals to adjust the current plans to obtain the aircraft's production certificate, which is required for mass production.

A part of China's drive to develop homemade civil airplanes, the C919 is expected to compete with medium-range aircraft from the two global giants, such as Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 MAX.