BEIJING: The second C919, China’s first self-developed narrow-body jet, was delivered to its first customer, China Eastern Airlines, on Sunday morning in Shanghai. As more C919s are put into commercial operation, the homemade aircraft should perform better and more safely industry experts said.
The jet took off on a flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 10:06 am, and landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport at 10:20 am. It will officially join China Eastern’s aircraft fleet on Sunday, according to the Shanghai-based carrier.
“The delivery of a second C919 for commercial operation demonstrates that China’s aviation industry has entered the stage of using more self-developed jets,” said Zheng Hongfeng, founder and CEO of VariFlight, an aviation data and solution service provider. “As more C919 jets are put into commercial use, their safety will increase, and their manufacturer, the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, will fall more in line with market demand,” Zheng added. As the second of five C919 aircraft to be delivered to China Eastern, the new jet has the same cabin layout as the first. On Friday, the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued the plane all the necessary certification for commercial operation. China Eastern said that the jetliner will initially join the first C919 on flights between Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Sichuan province, and will later fly to more Chinese cities. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
