BEIJING: C919, China’s self-developed large passenger aircraft, kicked off its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on May 28, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market.
The flight, operated by China Eastern Airlines, took off as MU9191 at 10:32 a.m. with 128 passengers on board. With the registration number B-919A, it is the first C919 jetliner delivered worldwide.
As China’s first self-developed trunk jetliner in accordance with international airworthiness standards, and owns independent intellectual property rights.
As a major aviation power, whether in civilian or military fields, China has cooperated closely with Pakistan in the field of aviation for decades.
The Gwadar International Airport under construction, as an outstanding example of China-Pakistan aviation cooperation, is located 26 kilometers northeast of the port.
So far, most of the infrastructure has been fully completed and it is expected to be officially opened for navigation in September.
The same as Gwadar Port, the new airport is also a representative project of the CPEC, which can accommodate the take-off and landing of large aircraft such as Boeing 747. In addition, the intersecting east-west air routes face China, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Central Asian countries, as well as a series of international routes will pass through this area. Therefore, the airport will gradually become an air economic and trade hub in the future. –Agencies
