SHANGHAI: China Eastern Airlines on Wednesday (Jan 1) started using the nations's domestically-produced C919 jetliner for regular flights between Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Flight MU721 carrying 157 passengers took off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport at 8.21am, marking the inauguration of the route operating the aircraft type.
It makes China Eastern Airlines the first airline to use the C919 for scheduled commercial flights to Hong Kong.
Earlier, China Eastern Airlines had last Thursday (Dec 26) said that beginning Jan 1, 2025, the domestically-produced C919 jetliner would operate regular flights between Shanghai and Hong Kong.
According to China Eastern Airlines, it has placed orders for 105 C919 aircraft, the largest C919 fleet in the world.
Hong Kong will become the ninth city served by the airline's C919 fleet on regular commercial routes.
The company plans to conduct daily round-trip flights following the launch of the regular route.
The C919 conducted its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing in May 2023, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market.
The Shanghai-Beijing route became regular in January this year.
The C919 is the nation's first self-developed trunk jetliner in accordance with international airworthiness standards, and with independent intellectual property rights registered.
China launched the C919 project in 2007.
Developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd (COMAC), the first C919 aircraft rolled off the production line in Shanghai in November 2015. - Xinhua
