China’s challenger to Airbus and Boeing’s passenger jets, the narrow-body C919 manufactured by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), has made its first trip outside Chinese territory, staging a fly-by at the Singapore Airshow on Feb 18.

With its C919 aircraft, Beijing wants to challenge the decades-long dominance of Western plane-makers in the global passenger market while reducing its reliance on foreign technology.

Can China’s homegrown airliner compete with Airbus and Boeing? How will Comac position itself as a viable alternative?

Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs explains.