China's first domestically made large passenger airliner, the C919, is making its inaugural commercial flight on Sunday, May 28.

By the end of 2022, the C919 jet had received 1,035 orders from 32 clients, according to a report released by the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality earlier this year.

Last month, the conglomerate HNA Aviation Group and the aircraft's developer, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC), signed a purchase agreement for 100 aircraft in Shanghai, including 60 confirmed orders.

Ma Chongxian, chairman of Air China, said that in 2010, the company signed a purchase agreement with COMAC for 20 C919 jetliners, and has followed the progress of the airplane. China Southern Airlines also pays close attention to the C919, maintaining close communication with COMAC, and promoting follow-up work in accordance with relevant procedures, said Han Wensheng, vice chairman and general manager of the air carrier.

With the subsequent delivery of orders, the upstream and downstream industrial chain companies of large aircraft will gain huge growing space. On the COMAC official website, there are Class I, II and III suppliers, among which the leading enterprises in various sub-sectors of aviation industry are selected. At the 2023 Supplier Conference held by COMAC in Shanghai in March this year, there were 238 participants representing suppliers and partners from three continents and nine countries.