China’s push into the passenger jet market is not seen as an immediate threat to Boeing or Airbus

China’s domestic airlines have been major buyers of large passenger aircraft from Airbus and Boeing but the Western manufacturers shouldn’t lose sleep over China’s ambitions in the market, according to analysts.

This is at least the third attempt by the Chinese to build a commercial passenger aircraft that can successfully compete with Western manufacturers.

“It’s like watching a competitor creep up on you at a snail’s pace and not necessarily moving in a straight line,” said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at Virginia-based industry consultancy Teal Group.

Last Friday, a 158-seat jetliner built by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China took its maiden flight from Shanghai. The Chinese press hailed the flight of the so-called C919 passenger aircraft as a sign of the country’s growing influence and manufacturing prowess, though experts say it still faces significant hurdles.

The C919 is a narrow-body twinjet similar in size to Boeing’s 737 or the Airbus A320. The Chinese passenger jet has been under development since 2008, and its maiden flight was about three years behind schedule.

The C919 will be assembled in China, with some technology from Western partners, including affiliates of Honeywell and General Electric .