Air China’s first C919 aircraft completed its maiden commercial flight on Tuesday. The CA1523 flight took off from Beijing Capital International Airport and landed in Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.
This marks the official beginning of Air China’s commercial operations for the domestically developed C919 aircraft, a narrow-body jet airliner designed and manufactured by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) – a significant achievement for China’s aviation industry.
Air China’s C919 is equipped with a larger maximum take-off weight and engine thrust compared to standard models, making it more suitable for longer-range flights. This capability enhances its market applicability and positions it as a competitive option in the global aviation market.
Since beginning commercial operations on May 28, 2023, the C919 has logged over 10,000 flight hours and completed more than 3,700 commercial flights.
It reached a milestone on September 1 after surpassing the 500,000-mark in terms of the number of passengers transported.
The first C919 large passenger aircraft was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on December 9, 2022. The airline has since expanded its C919 fleet to seven aircraft, operating five regular routes that connect Shanghai with Chengdu, Beijing, Xi’an and Guangzhou, as well as Beijing with Xi’an.
On August 28, Air China and China Southern Airlines received their first C919 aircraft in Shanghai, marking a pivotal moment as the country’s first domestically produced large passenger aircraft enters a new phase of multi-operator deployment.
