China's C919 accelerates commercial operation

The sixth C919 jetliner delivered worldwide joined the China Eastern Airlines fleet on Tuesday, indicating the acceleration of commercial operation of China's homegrown large passenger aircraft. This came one year after the first commercial flight of C919 was made. With its self-developed trunk jetliner, China aims to secure a share of the global civil aviation market, which is currently dominated by Boeing and Airbus. The aircraft, delivered to China Eastern on Monday, landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on Tuesday morning after a short flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport. This was the first delivery of 100 C919 aircraft that China Eastern, the first global customer of the single-aisle jetliner, ordered last year. So far, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) has delivered six C919 aircraft worldwide, all to China Eastern. "China Eastern has achieved breakthroughs in the commercial operation of the C919 large aircraft, with the fleet size of C919 rising from zero to one and from one to five. Now we are in the process of achieving further breakthroughs by expanding the fleet size from six to over 100," said Wang Zhiqing, chairman of China Eastern Airlines. "We will further improve the operational efficiency and market competitiveness of the C919 aircraft so that the C919 can fly more steadily, farther, wider and better," Wang added. The C919 is expected to make its first overseas commercial flight on June 1, with China Eastern operating a chartered flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai, according to the airline.<br/>