The world's first C919, China's first domestically made large passenger jet, completed its inaugural commercial flight on Sunday.
The flight, identified as MU9191, departed from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport at 10:32 a.m. and arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport at 12:31 p.m.
Over 130 passengers were aboard to experience C919's first air travel. To begin the journey, everyone obtained a specially designed boarding pass provided by China Eastern Airlines (CEA), commemorating the aircraft's first commercial flight.
A view of the boarding pass for the C919's first commercial flight. /China Media Group
A view of the boarding pass for the C919's first commercial flight. /China Media Group
For the first time, passengers can enjoy high-definition 1080p videos displayed on a total of 20 12-inch ceiling-mounted monitors installed in CEA's single-aisle fleet.
China Eastern Airlines has also filmed a safety instruction video for the C919, featuring China's picturesque landscapes to present an audiovisual feast for passengers.
Interior view of C919. /CFP
The most anticipated thing is the in-flight food service, which comprises themed meals voted on by passengers.
Named after wufu linmen, a Chinese idiom meaning "five blessings come to the family," the themed meal available for economy class passengers comprises a serving clay pot of rice with preserved meat, a three-color fruit platter, mango pudding depicting the maiden flight, the CEA's chocolate shortcake and White Rabbit milk candy.
A photo of the themed meal, wufu linmen, which means "five blessings come to the family," served aboard the C919's first commercial flight. /China Media Group
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Live: Witness the first commercial flight of China's first domestically–made jet
Commercial tickets for sale
From Friday night on, passengers can book tickets for a C919 commercial flight from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Sichuan Province on Monday (May 29), according to aviation data and solution service provider VariFlight.
Priced at 919 yuan (around $130) for an economy class seat, the flight from Shanghai to Chengdu is the first commercial flight available for sale that will be flown by C919.
Chinese seal logo of "THE WORLD'S FIRST #C919" printed on the body of C919. /CGTN
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C919 commercial debut: Milestones of China's first homegrown jetliner
The C919 was developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) and was granted a type certificate by the Civil Aviation Administration Of China (CAAC) last September.
China Eastern Airlines signed a contract to buy five C919s in March 2021 in the first commercial deal for the plane. The airline received its first C919 jet, numbered B-919A, on December 9，2022, and the remaining four aircraft will be delivered over the next two years based on the supplier's production and delivery plan.
China Eastern Airlines began a 100-hour verification flight for its first C919 aircraft on December 26, 2022, to verify and confirm the aircraft's operational safety.
So far, over 1,200 C919 jetliners have been ordered, according to COMAC.
(Cover Image: The C919 aircraft lands at Beijing Capital International Airport, China, May 28, 2023. /CFP)