China's first passenger plane to take on Airbus A320, Boeing 737

China's first large homemade passenger jet will make its maiden flight from Shanghai later today

China's first large homemade passenger jetliner is due to make its maiden flight from Shanghai later today.

The 158-seater C919 is being touted as a rival to single-aisle jets the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.

It was originally due to fly in 2014 before being delivered to buyers in 2016, but has been beset by delays blamed on manufacturing problems.

The C919 is made by state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd, or Comac. Most of its customers are state-owned Chinese airlines.

The official Xinhua News Agency says 23 domestic and foreign customers have placed orders for a total of 570 aircraft. These include Air China and GE Capital Aviation Services.