China’s C919 jet passes Lunar New Year test as usage rate soars

China’s first home-grown narrowbody aircraft, the C919, has taken another step towards proving its reliability, after handling a surge in flights during the Lunar New Year travel rush. The big three Chinese state-owned airlines used their C919 fleets more intensively than ever before, with each C919 staying in the air for an average of 6.5 hours per day over the 40-day holiday period. Though the airlines deployed their Airbus and Boeing aircraft even more, the holiday still represented a test for the C919, as its utilisation rate soared by 40% compared with the same period last year. “The C919 demonstrated its reliability as a daily-use aircraft, and there are no significant weaknesses when compared with Airbus and Boeing,” said Li Hanming, a civil aviation analyst. The Lunar New Year travel period, which ended on Saturday, brings a dramatic spike in travel demand each year as families across China reunite with their relatives. Demand for air travel reached a record high during this year’s holiday, with the country’s airlines handling 2.25m passenger trips per day on average, up 7.4% compared with the 2024 holiday, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.<br/>