China’s homegrown narrow-body jetliner completes second-ever international commercial flight

China's domestically built narrow-body jetliner, the C919, successfully completed its second international commercial flight on Thursday, touching down in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. The Air China flight departed Beijing at 3:36pm local time and landed in Ulaanbaatar at 5:17pm local time, covering the 2,200-mile journey in just one hour and 41 minutes.

The narrow-body Comac C919 had previously completed its first scheduled international commercial passenger flight on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone for the aircraft following its maiden commercial flight on May 28, 2023, as reported by Chinese news agency Xinhua. The flight's successful operation on the China-Mongolia international route signifies that the C919 has met the verification of bilateral international civil aviation operating standards, earning the qualification for regular international commercial passenger operations.

Analysts view the milestone flight as a "starting point" for China's domestically developed large passenger aircraft to gain global recognition. Comac, the developer of the C919, has already successfully operated the jet along multiple domestic routes since its entry into commercial service, garnering widespread market recognition for its reliable flight performance, comfortable cabin experience, and stable safety standards.

Air China operates 12 of these aircraft, with Comac reporting that the C919 has served 57 routes connecting 25 cities and handled over 7.5 million passenger trips as of August 10, 2025.