European regulators have begun flight checks on China's domestically built C919 passenger jet in Shanghai, reports Hong Kong's South China Morning Post. The Chinese plane maker is seeking Western certification to expand global sales and challenge Boeing and Airbus.

Two pilots from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency carried out verification flights, according to the SCMP, citing a source familiar with the process. Foreign pilots based in China have also been enlisted to help prove the jet's reliability.

The certification effort follows delays last year in the approval process. The flights form part of continuing exchanges between the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, which builds the C919, and the European regulator, the source added.