HNA Group, which has been on a global shopping spree for assets over the past seven years, is expected to enter the Fortune’s list of the world’s 100 largest companies this year. HNA is the parent of Hainan Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines, and it has a 25% stake in the Hilton hotels group. It has acquired CNY330 billion in overseas assets since its major acquisitions began in 2010. The Hainan-based company, which generates CNY600 billion in annual revenue, was ranked 353rdon Fortune’s 2016 list. “Being one of the top 100 companies is a recognition,” said HNA’s Chief Investment Officer James Wang. Fortune could not be reached to confirm how HNA will be ranked in 2017. Hainan Airlines currently operates China’s fourth-largest fleet of passenger aircraft. Chen Feng began diversifying the business during the global outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 into logistics, tourism and real estate. HNA bought 45% of Hong Kong Airlines in 2006, the South China Morning Post reports.

Construction of Boeing’s first overseas facility as part of its 737 production system has started in Zhoushan, a port city in Zhejiang province. After completion in 2018, the facility will deliver eight to 10 planes each month, with an annual production of up to 100 aircraft. Boeing and Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) will jointly run the completion center, in which flight entertainment systems and seats will be installed in 737 aircraft. Boeing supplies 150 to 200 airplanes to Chinese customers a year, accounting for a quarter of Boeing’s global deliveries.

China’s home-grown narrow-bodied passenger jet, the C919, made its maiden flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport on May 5, gearing up to compete with Airbus and Boeing. Five crew members, led by 41-year-old Captain Cai Jun were onboard for the flight to Nantong, about 100 kilometers from Shanghai, and back to Pudong airport. The jet is the first of six C919s which will now undergo rigorous flight testing until 2019 before deliveries are made to airlines, according to Bao Peng, Project Manager at the jet’s assembly plant operated by Shanghai-based Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). The C919 – whose key parts include engines and avionics systems provided by 15 international companies such as General Electric and Honeywell – has received 570 orders from 23 foreign and domestic customers, including Air China and leasing company GE Capital Aviation Service. China is projected to require 6,865 new aircraft over the next 20 years valued at CNY6 trillion, as airlines replenish their retiring fleets or expand, according to COMAC’s projection. About 21% of these will be twin-aisle planes, while single-aisle aircraft make up 65% of the demand. “The first flight of the C919 aircraft marks a great milestone not only for COMAC, but for China and the entire global aerospace industry,” said Steven Lien, President of Honeywell Aerospace’ Asia-Pacific operations. The C919 can carry 150 passengers in a standard configuration, putting it in the same class as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, the South China Morning Post reports. Overseas orders account for about 10% of the total, including airlines from Germany, Thailand and Africa.

Home-sharing start-up Xiaozhu, often dubbed “China’s Airbnb”, is looking at business travelers to boost the company’s growth in China’s short-term home-rental market. “Over 15% of our bookings are for business travel purposes,” Xiaozhu Chief Executive Kelvin Chen Chi said. “Sometimes employees need to stay in a city for two to three months to work on a project, and it’s not cost-effective to stay at a hotel. We want to fill this gap in the market that hotels cannot meet,” he said. Eligible homes need to be within 10 minutes by foot to public transport, offer 24-hour check-in, provide official invoices, guarantee a refund in case of hygiene-related complaints, as well as come equipped with office facilities such as a projector and a broadband internet connection, enabling employees to work from their temporary home. Xiaozhu already started rolling out its homes targeted at business travelers in about 20 cities, and is aiming to expand to more than 50 cities in China offering about 80,000 apartments by the end of the year. The company also hopes to sign deals with 5,000 companies this year, and is aiming to serve 100,000 business travelers. Xiaozhu is offering more services than Airbnb, such as helping hosts with renovation work, sourcing office facilities, and offering a cleaning service after guests have checked out. However, home-sharing start-ups are still operating in a grey area in China, as there are no official regulations, the South China Morning Post reports.

The C919, China’s large homegrown passenger jet, has finished its first high-speed taxiing test, coming one step closer to its maiden flight. Most ground-based pre-flight evaluations have been completed. The C919 is a single-aisle,168-seat, twin-engine jet for medium-haul flights, designed to compete with the updated Airbus 320 and the new-generation Boeing 737, which currently dominate the market. As of last November, COMAC had received 570 orders for the C919 from more than 20 customers.