Air China flight CA723 takes off from the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, on August 12, 2026. China launched the first international route featuring its homegrown C919 aircraft, connecting Beijing with Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia. Photo: VCG

China's domestically developed C919 passenger jet continued to expand its operations in the first three quarters of 2026, with monthly passenger flight numbers rising steadily and average daily flights per aircraft approaching the level of the Airbus A320, an industry report said on Thursday.

In the first three quarters of 2026, the overall utilization rate of the C919 reached 6.5 hours per day, with an average of 3.2 flights per aircraft per day, approaching the level of the mainstream narrow-body airliner A320 with an average of 3.7 flights per day, according to the report released by industry information provider Flight Master.

The report said that as of the end of September, the C919 commercial passenger fleet had grown to 43 aircraft, and the number of passenger flights operated showed a trend of monthly growth. In August alone, 4,197 flights were operated, a year-on-year increase of 93.3 percent. 

The C919 is a large jet-powered civil aircraft independently developed by China with independent intellectual property rights. The first C919 was officially delivered to China Eastern Airlines on December 9, 2022, and it made its commercial maiden flight on May 28, 2023, beginning normalized commercial operation. 

As of the end of September, a total of 43 C919s had been delivered - 17 to China Eastern Airlines, 12 to Air China, 13 to China Southern Airlines, and one to COMAC Express. 

In the first three quarters of 2026, 11 aircraft were delivered - five to China Southern Airlines, three to Air China, and three to China Eastern Airlines.

Also, during the period, the C919 was in use on 125 domestic routes, a year-on-year increase of 60 routes, involving a total of 26 cities and 29 airports, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. 

The three major carriers each operate the C919 based on their main operating bases, with China Eastern Airlines operating 57 routes, China Southern Airlines 49 routes, and Air China 28 routes. 

Global Times