C919 debuts on Shanghai-Guangzhou route

China's first self-developed narrow body jet C919 officially opened its fourth regular commercial route between Shanghai and Guangzhou on Friday.

It was welcomed with a conventional water salute at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport after departing from the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.

The world's first C919, which was put into use on May 28, 2023, conducted the flight that has 162 passengers onboard, said C919's first global customer China Eastern Airlines.

China Eastern received its sixth C919 jetliner on May 27 in Shanghai from manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, or COMAC, making the C919 fleet reach six.

The jets are operated in three regular routes of Shanghai-Beijing, Shanghai-Chengdu (in Sichuan province) and Shanghai-Xi'an (in Shaanxi province). Since its maiden commercial flight between Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport on May 28, 2023, China Eastern's C919 fleet has conducted 2,360 commercial flights and 6,560 hours of commercial operation, safely handling more than 300,000 passenger trips as of Thursday. 

The Shanghai-based carrier purchased the first five C919 jets in 2021 and inked a deal with COMAC to buy another 100 C919 aircraft on September 28, 2023. These aircraft will be delivered between 2024 and 2031.