China's homegrown C919 will soon receive its airworthiness certificate and be delivered to China Eastern Airlines this year, said Wu Guanghui, the chief designer of the aircraft, on Sept 15 during the opening ceremony of the first World Design Cities Conference in Shanghai.

China Eastern Airline will be the first to receive the aircraft, which was solely designed in Shanghai.

Wu noted that the narrow-body airliner had completed all test flights required for the airworthiness certificate on August 1.