China Eastern Airlines on Tuesday took delivery of its sixth C919 jet, as the domestically developed large passenger aircraft celebrates the 1st anniversary of commercial operations.
C919 jets have reportedly carried nearly 300,000 passengers during the past 12 months, accumulating over 6,000 incident-free flight hours, achieving preliminary success in commercial operations.
Industry analysts said the mass production and delivery of C919s is advancing steadily, projecting Chinese aircraft manufacturers may reach the same level as international industry leaders by 2035, in terms of aircraft production capacity and technical support and maintenance.
On Tuesday morning, a C919 aircraft numbered B-919G departed from Shanghai Pudong International Airport and landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport shortly. The plane formally joined China Eastern Airlines' fleet, according to a press release the airliner sent to the Global Times.
This is the first of a purchase order of 100 C919s that China Eastern Airlines signed with Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in September 2023, the company said.
Since the C919's inaugural commercial flight on May 28, 2023, its commercial operation has picked up speed. Over the past year, the aircraft began flying routes between Shanghai and Beijing, operating across the Chinese Lunar New Year travel rush and debuted at the Singapore Airshow. A chartered flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai is scheduled for Jun 1, which will mark C919's first overseas commercial flight, according to China Eastern Airlines.
Analysts said large-scale operation of C919s is significant to promote China's competitiveness in the global aviation market.
"Over the past year, C919's commercial operations made notable progress, carrying a large number of passengers and conducting test flights on more routes. Especially, the aircraft's debut at the Singapore Airshow underlies COMAC's resolve in exploring international markets," Wang Yanan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
In addition to China Eastern Airlines, other major domestic carriers such as Air China and China Southern Airlines have also announced purchase of C919s from COMAC. To date, global orders of C919 have exceeded 1,000 aircraft, Xinhua News Agency reported.
"Currently, C919 has sufficient orders while the C929 project has begun, which points to the sound development of the country's air transport and aircraft manufacturing sector," Qi Qi, an independent market analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Qi calls for the accelerated development of aircraft industrial and supply chains domestically, especially stable supply such as engines and avionics, in a bid to boost the mass production of C919 jets.
COMAC Deputy General Manager Qi Xuefeng said in November 2023 that the C929 aircraft has entered its detailed design stage.
The manufacturing of large aircraft should give play to the activity of domestic and foreign suppliers, but we should strive to achieve a safe and self-controllable industrial and supply chain at the most for the mass production of every aircraft model, Qi said.
It's expected that Chinese aircraft manufacturers will reach the same level as international giants such as Boeing and Aircraft as early as 2035 in terms of output, technical support and maintenance, Wang said.
He said the progress made by the C919 is a vivid display of China's fruitful results in high-end manufacturing, and the continuing momentum will help the country retain its leading position in global competition.
China has demonstrated its strong momentum and broad prospects in the development of new quality productive forces. China's first domestically produced large cruise ship, Adora Magic City, started commercial operations in January this year, another showcase of the country's manufacturing prowess.
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