One of China’s three major airlines, China Eastern Airlines, headquartered in Shanghai, is ready to operate COMAC C919’s first International commercial flight. On June 1, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) C919 will operate the type’s first outside mainland China.
Airlines will deploy C919 on a commercial charter flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai. This narrow-body airliner has been chartered to fly Hong Kong’s college students for an exchange program with their Shanghai counterparts. C919 has started the revenue-generating flight for the first time since May 2023.
First Flight outside Mainland China
China Eastern Airlines has scheduled the COMAC C919 flight from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport(SHA) to Hong Kong International Airport(HKG) on June 1, 2024.
In February 2024, the C919 made its first international debut at the biennial Singapore Airshow before touring Southeast Asia. This aircraft is the first 100 C919s ordered by the carrier as the sixth C919(registered B-919G) in September 2023. It flew a short flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport(PVG) to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport(SHA) on May 28, 2024, and was formally accepted by the airline’s representatives.
Airlines deploy C919s on various domestic trunk routes, and it has already operated more than 2,100 flights with 80% load factors. COMAC has almost 1,000 firm orders for the C919, with 700 additional aircraft held on option for its 156-168 seater short-haul jet.
The flight code to operate the SHA-HKG route had not been used before. C919s had already carried almost 300,000 passengers with more than 6,000 flight hours since May 28, 2023.
Official statements from China Eastern Airlines:
The chairman of China Eastern Airlines, Wang Zhiqing, said:
“China Eastern has achieved breakthroughs in the commercial operation of the C919 large aircraft, with the fleet size of C919 rising from zero to one and from one to five. Now, we are in the process of achieving further breakthroughs by expanding the fleet size from six to over 100. We will further improve the operational efficiency and market competitiveness of the C919 aircraft so that the C919 can fly more steadily, farther, wider, and better.”
On another occasion, airlines stated:
“The delivery marks the comprehensive acceleration of the large-scale and large-fleet commercial operation of the domestically produced C919.”
Background and way of C919
In December 2023, C919 competed with the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX 8 and visited Hong Kong. Tibet Airlines was the first airline to order the COMAC C919 in 2024, i.e., 40 units. Air China and China Southern Airlines each ordered 100 units of C919 aircraft. The worldwide orders for C919 have reached 1000 aircraft.
On December 9, 2022, China Eastern Airlines received its first C919 as the first delivered C919 aircraft globally. It received four more C919 aircraft on July 14, 2023, December 9, 2023, January 2, 2024, and March 2, 2024. According to China Eastern Airlines, the new order for 100 C919 aircraft will be delivered from 2024 to 2031. Five aircraft are scheduled for delivery this year. Ten aircraft in 2025, 2026, and 2027. Fifteen aircraft in 2028, 2029 and 2030. Twenty aircraft in 2031.
China Eastern Airlines operated 268 flights, providing 43,416 seats, in January with four C919 aircraft. In February, 230 flights provided 37,260 seats. In March, the flights geared up to 366. C919 will probably continue to operate on the Shanghai to Xi’an route after April.
Future of C919
China Eastern’s C919 fleet is expected to have ten aircraft by the end of 2024. These aircraft will mainly serve the airline’s main base markets and important business and tourism trunk markets.
China has great potential and a platform in aviation. It is thought that over the 2022 to 2041 time period, China will receive 6,288 single-aisle jetliners and 9,284 new passenger jets. China may become the world’s largest single-country civil aviation market by 2041 A.D.
Specifications of COMAC C919
| First Flight | 5 May , 2017 |
| Designer | Wu Guanghui |
| Manufacturer | Commercial Aircraft Corporation Of China, Ltd. |
| Introduction | 28 May, 2023 (China Eastern Airlines) |
| Wingspan | 35.8 m (117 ft 5 in) |
| Length | 38.9 m (127 ft 7 in) |
| Height | 11.95 m (39 ft 2in) |
| Maximum Take-off Weight | 75,100 kg (165,600 lb)
ER: 78,900 kg (173,900 lb) |
| Engine | x2 (CFM LEAP-1C) |
| Cruise Speed | Mach 0.785 (453 kn; 838 km/h; 521 mph) |
| Fuel Capacity | 24,917 L (6,582 US gal) |
| Seats | 158 ((8J + 150Y)) to 192 (1-class HD) |