Aviation: China's C919 completes first international scheduled flight

Beijing. The C919 passenger jet developed in China has completed its first international scheduled flight. A machine from the airline Air China flew from Beijing to the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator on Wednesday, as reported by the state news agency Xinhua. On this route, one return flight is planned daily. Since May 2023, the C919 has been used in regular passenger traffic.

So far, it has mainly flown within China and between mainland China and Hong Kong. The Mongolia connection is now the first regular route to another country. According to the manufacturer Comac, the C919 has so far been used on 57 routes to 25 cities and has transported more than 7.5 million passengers. The operators are Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern.

Long-term competition for Airbus and Boeing The state-owned manufacturer Comac wants to compete with Airbus and Boeing in the long term with the C919. The passenger jet is about the same size as the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737. China is one of the most important aviation markets in the world and is therefore also of great importance for the two Western manufacturers.

So far, Comac has been active mainly in China. However, the company wants to sell its aircraft in other countries as well. So far, the C919 has not been approved by either the European or American aviation authorities. This makes sales in many countries more difficult.