Air China and China Southern Airlines welcome first C919 jets

State-owned carriers Air China and China Southern Airlines received their first C919 jets simultaneously on Wednesday evening in Shanghai, indicating the beginning of a new phase of operation of the C919 planes by multiple airlines.

China's domestically developed single-aisle C919 planes are expected to be put into commercial operation on more routes and cover more areas, and the model is set to bring more vitality to China's civil aviation and even the global market, said He Dongfeng, chairman of Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, or COMAC, the manufacturer of the C919.

Comparable to the narrow-body Airbus A320 and the Boeing B737 series, the C919 has 158 to 192 seats and a flying range of 4,075 kilometers to 5,555 km. Air China's C919 jet is equipped with two classes and 158 seats, and China Southern's C919 plane has a layout of three classes and 164 seats, the carriers said.

Both aircraft are equipped with customized cabin seats, and the entire cabin is equipped with personal charging sockets, providing passengers with a convenient and comfortable boarding experience, COMAC said.

So far, C919 has netted more than 1,000 orders at home and abroad, and nine aircraft have been delivered. Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines, the first customer of the C919, currently operates seven C919 jets on multiple domestic routes.