China Eastern Airlines Corp Ltd (600115.SS) successfully introduced China's domestically developed narrow-body C919 jet into passenger service on Sunday, completing
its inaugural commercial flight. This achievement marks a significant milestone in China's efforts to enhance self-reliance in aviation.
The C919, developed by state-backed Commercial Aviation Corp of China (COMAC), was initiated 15 years ago to compete with Airbus SE's (AIR.PA) A320neo and Boeing Co's (BA.N) 737 MAX single-aisle jet families.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has praised the project as a triumph of Chinese innovation, and on Sunday, state media hailed the aircraft as a symbol of industrial prowess and national pride.
"After years of hard work, we have finally broken the West's aviation monopoly and overcome the humiliation of '800 million shirts for one Boeing'," stated Beijing Daily, referring to the early stages of China's economic reforms approximately 40 years ago, when the country primarily manufactured low-value goods.
According to the flight tracker app Variflight, the C919 took off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, where COMAC and China Eastern Airlines are based, at 10:32 a.m. (0232 GMT) and landed at Beijing Capital Airport two hours later.
"I have confidence in the plane. The flight was smoother than expected," said one of the approximately 130 passengers to state broadcaster CCTV upon disembarking.
The aircraft is scheduled to return to Shanghai on Sunday and then make a longer two-way flight to Chengdu on Monday.
Lv Boyuan, a 21-year-old student and aviation enthusiast, was present at Shanghai's airport on Sunday to fly to Chengdu, where he planned to return the following day aboard the C919.
"I've been eagerly anticipating this flight, especially because it's a new-generation aircraft, unlike the Boeing and Airbus equivalents that have been around for several years now," Lv said.
The C919 made its maiden flight in 2017 after experiencing several delays and has since undergone numerous test flights.
China Eastern Airlines, with government support, ordered five C919 jets in March 2021. The airline received the first delivery in December and anticipates receiving the remaining aircraft this year.
As of the end of 2022, COMAC had secured 1,035 orders from 32 customers. A company official has since stated that the figure has surpassed 1,200.
According to domestic media reports in January, the planemaker expects annual production of the C919 to reach 150 aircraft within five years.
While the C919 is assembled in China, it heavily relies on Western components, including engines and avionics, from companies such as General Electric Co (GE.N), Safran SA (SAF.PA), and Honeywell International Inc (HON.O).
Li Hanming, an independent expert on Chinese aviation, noted that most C919 orders were letters of intent from domestic customers. Only a few foreign customers, including lessor GE Capital Aviation Services Ltd, have placed orders.
"For the C919, the domestic market is large enough," Li stated.
Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor of industry publication FlightGlobal, pointed out that the international market is uncertain since neither European nor U.S. regulators have certified the aircraft.
"Until this happens, key international markets will be closed to the C919," he said.
The C919's predecessor, the ARJ21, is a 90-seat short-haul aircraft that entered commercial operation in 2016 and is flown by major Chinese airlines as well as Indonesia's TransNusa. Photo by AppleSteveGao, Wikimedia commons.
