China makes first commercial flight with domestically produced aircraft

(HNMO) - On May 28, China successfully conducted the first commercial flight using its domestically produced narrow-body aircraft C919, marking a historic milestone in the country's aviation industry.

Historic flight of Chinese aviation industry.

According to the South China Morning Post, flight MU9191 operated by China Eastern Airlines departed from Shanghai, carrying 130 passengers. After 2 hours of flying at an average speed of 955km/h, the plane landed in Beijing at 10:30 (local time), 10 minutes ahead of schedule. The entire event was broadcast live on CCTV.

Manufactured by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the C919 is 38.9m long and 11.95m high. Its interior includes eight business class seats and 156 economy class seats.

Passenger cabin of COMAC C919.

The successful flight is a major achievement in China's aviation industry, and is the result of 16 years of research and development.

The C919 is not only a product that competes with giants like Boeing or Airbus, but also China's effort to become technologically autonomous before Western countries.

The C919’s specifications are similar to those of the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320, two popular commercial aircraft. COMAC said it had received orders for 1,035 C919s from 32 customers by the end of 2022.

The cockpit of a C919 flying from Shanghai to Beijing on May 28, 2023.

In the near future, the C919 will serve the Shanghai - Chengdu (capital of Sichuan province) route, then expand to more routes connecting many other major cities in China.

Source: https://beta.hanoimoi.com.vn/trung-quoc-thuc-hien-chuyen-bay-thuong-mai-dau-tien-bang-may-bay-tu-san-xuat-442846.html