SHANGHAI, CHINA — The world's first C919 aircraft was delivered to the launch customer, China Eastern Airlines, today. the aircraft was officially commissioned into the fleet of the Chinese carrier. C919 is China's first home-built large passenger aircraft by state-owned aircraft manufacturer COMAC.
A pattern of a Chinese seal reading "world's first C919" in Chinese is printed on the front part of the plane delivered.
The aircraft is configured to accommodate164 passengers in a bi-lass configuration, including eight Business Class and 156 Economy seats. With an aisle height of 2.25 meters, the plane comes with an efficient air filtration system, a passenger-centric lighting system, and low noise. Theere are also twenty 12" drop-down screens that can play 1080P videos.
On the day of the delivery, a maiden flight of the C919 aircraft was made by three senior China Eastern pilots from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport to the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.
At the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport the aircraft was welcomed with the water salute ceremony. The plane is expected to make its first revenue flight in the spring of 2023.
China Eastern Airlines has a fleet of nearly 800 aircraft split between Boeing and Airbus jetliners. The operator has 20 C919 on order. The plane is intended to compete with Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX. The aircraft received type certificatio from Chinese regulator on Sept.29, 2022 after five years of its first flight. The certification process with EASA is still under work. A near-term FAA certification is not likely due to ongoing political tension with the US. COMAC has so far booked 815 orders mainly from Chinese airline operators.
China Eastern Airlines has a fleet of nearly 800 aircraft split between Boeing and Airbus jetliners. The operator has 20 C919 on order. The plane is intended to compete with Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX. The aircraft received type certificatio from Chinese regulator on Sept.29, 2022 after five years of its first flight. The certification process with EASA is still under work. A near-term FAA certification is not likely due to ongoing political tension with the US. COMAC has so far booked 815 orders mainly from Chinese airline operators.
