China's First Domestically Produced Passenger Aircraft C919 to Operate Next Spring

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Seoyul] China's first domestically produced jet airliner, the C919, is scheduled to be deployed for passenger flights in the spring of next year.

According to China Civil Aviation Network on the 24th, China Eastern Airlines, the first to receive the C919, plans to deploy it for passenger flights in the spring after final inspections including verification flights.

China Eastern Airlines announced that it will begin 100 hours of verification flights starting on the 26th. Verification flights are procedures to inspect the passenger aircraft's operating systems and comprehensively check whether it can provide safe routes for passengers. Once stable operational capability is confirmed through verification flights, civil aviation authorities will grant operating permission.

The C919 is a medium-sized passenger aircraft developed by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), which began research and development in 2006 and completed it after 16 years. It has a single aisle and seats 164 passengers. The price per unit is known to be about 100 million USD (approximately 130 billion KRW).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.