A C919 jetliner carrying more than 100 Hong Kong young talents receives a ceremonial water salute on its arrival at the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, east China, June 1, 2024. A C919 jetliner of the China Eastern Airlines fleet on Saturday kicked off its first overseas commercial chartered flight, providing a round-trip service between Shanghai and Hong Kong. (Photo: Xinhua)

The first cross-boundary commercial charter flight served by the China-built large aircraft C919 landed in Shanghai on Saturday, a huge step in the C919's commercialization. 

The China Eastern Airlines plane departed from the Hong Kong International Airport and landed at the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on Saturday morning, carrying more than 100 young professionals from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) who will have internships in Shanghai. 

The plane made the return trip on the same day, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.

A launch ceremony for the charter flight was held in Hong Kong, and the aircraft received a ceremonial water salute upon its arrival in Shanghai.

The C919 aircraft, along with another home-developed passenger jet ARJ 21, visited Hong Kong for a static display in December. The planes were widely welcomed by Hong Kong residents and overseas visitors, according to media reports. 

Eric Chan Kwok-ki, chief secretary for the HKSAR, hailed the charter flight and the C919's visit to Hong Kong last December, noting that they helped deepen Hong Kong youth's understanding of the development of national aviation and enhanced their sense of identity and national pride. 

A sixth C919 jet formally joined China Eastern Airlines' fleet on May 28, as the country's domestically developed large passenger aircraft celebrated the first anniversary of commercial operations.

The C919 aircraft is being used on flights between Shanghai and Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, and Shanghai and Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

China Eastern Airlines' C919 fleet will expand to 10 aircraft by the end of this year. 

The C919 is a large passenger plane designed, manufactured and certified by the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China in strict accordance with international airworthiness standards, carrying 158 to 192 passengers, with a range of 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers, capable of serving medium-range routes.

There are more than 1,000 global orders for the C919.

Global Times