China's C919 jet makes first international commercial flight

China's homegrown C919 jet completed its first international commercial flight on Wednesday, marking a significant step towards challenging Boeing and Airbus's decades-long dominance in the aerospace industry. The narrow-body jet, developed by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) and operated by Air China, was set to reduce China's reliance on foreign technology and pave the way for a stronger global presence.

The C919, which has yet to receive approval from American or European regulators, was operated on a route between Beijing and Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar, with a single round-trip flight per day. Passenger Hu Yuan expressed a sense of pride in flying on a domestically produced plane and hoped that future Chinese aircraft would outperform Boeing and Airbus in terms of passenger experience.

The C919, made partially with components from countries including the United States, completed its maiden commercial flight in May 2023 and has since been used for domestic routes and between mainland China and Hong Kong. COMAC has also showcased the C919 at international airshows, including the Singapore airshow in 2024 and 2026, and the Dubai airshow in 2025.