China Eastern to operate COMAC C919 on Shanghai-Beijing route

TIN news:  China Eastern Airlines, which is the launch customer for the Chinese-produced 150-seat C919, will operate the aircraft on its Shanghai-Beijing route, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.

The C919, produced by China’s Commercial Aircraft Corp. (COMAC) launched its inaugural flight May 5.

China Eastern chairman Liu Shaoyong said the carrier has maintained close contact and cooperation with COMAC on C919 research and development, including operations and MRO. After delivery, COMAC will provide back-up support to the Shanghai-based carrier.

“The global commercial aircraft market has huge potential and China is a big market itself, so a safe, economic, comfortable and environment-friendly aircraft will be popular. Thus, I believe the C919 will definitely become a star aircraft,” Liu said.

COMAC is also set to launch a joint venture (JV) with Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. to design and develop a 281-seat widebody aircraft, dubbed the “C929,” for which both companies would launch a JV in Shanghai this year. Last year, COMAC displayed a 280-seat model of the widebody aircraft with a range of 120,000 km (74,565 miles) at China’s Zhuhai Airshow.

The Chinese airframer said first flight is expected in 2023, and first delivery is scheduled for 2026 at the earliest.