BEIJING/SHANGHAI: China Eastern Airlines on Sunday sent the country’s narrow-body jet C919 on its first commercial flight, marking the homegrown plane’s entry into passenger service and a milestone for China’s efforts to become more self-reliant.
Commercial Aviation Corp of China (COMAC) began developing the C919 15 years ago to rival the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 Max single-aisle jet families. President Xi Jinping has hailed the project as one of China’s best innovative achievements.
The plane took off from Hongqiao airport in Shanghai, where both COMAC and China Eastern are headquartered, slightly before 10.32am local time (9.32am in Thailand), bound for Beijing Capital Airport, according to flight tracker app Variflight.