A C919 aircraft, the first Chinese-made large passenger plane, has entered the preparation phase for its maiden flight. [Photo: COMAC]

A C919 aircraft, the first Chinese-made large passenger plane, has entered the preparation phase for its maiden flight, People's Daily reported on Monday.

The C919 developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) is expected to make its maiden flight in the first half of this year.

China unveiled the C919 in November 2015. The plane has been designed to compete with the updated Airbus 320 and Boeing's new-generation 737 once it is cleared for commercial use. It has 158 seats, a standard range of 4,075 kilometres and an extended range of 5,555 kilometres.