China’s first domestically produced C919 jetliner has opened a new chapter in the nation’s aviation history, commencing regular commercial flights between Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Operated by China Eastern Airlines, the inaugural flight, MU721, departed from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on 1 January, at 8:21 am with 157 passengers on board. The landmark flight touched down in Hong Kong at 10:44 am, where it was greeted with a ceremonial water salute.
“The new service is a timely addition that meets the booming travel demand in major cities like Hong Kong and Shanghai,” said Gary Zhang, a member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, emphasizing at the same time the symbolic importance of the new route.
🎉🎉Our #C919 officially launches a new route between #Shanghai and #HongKong, which makes #CEAir the first airline to use the C919 for scheduled commercial flights to Hong Kong. May the C919 with the new livery bring you happiness in 2025. We can't wait to Meet U in Hong Kong! pic.twitter.com/H9x0BILhNq
— China Eastern Airlines (@CEAirglobal) January 1, 2025
The aircraft first entered commercial service in May 2023 on the Shanghai-Beijing route, followed by its regular deployment in January 2024. The introduction of the C919 on the Shanghai-Hong Kong route marks its debut on a cross-border service, highlighting its growing significance within China’s aviation manufacturing sector.
“Leveraging Hong Kong’s advantages as a gateway, this service will showcase China’s breakthroughs and achievements in the aviation manufacturing sector to the world'”, said Hong Kong’s Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mable Chan.
Hong Kong International Airport, a global aviation hub, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with COMAC in October 2024 to support the jetliner’s operations and promote it in global markets. The airport’s recently operational three-runway system enhances its capacity to support the C919’s maintenance and crew training, strengthening the aircraft’s prospects for international adoption. The new regular route route is expected to serve as a blueprint for further international expansion, particularly in Southeast Asia, where the C919 has already conducted demonstration flights in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the C919 is the country’s first self-developed trunk jetliner built to international airworthiness standards, with independently registered intellectual property rights. The narrow-body airliner can carry up to 192 passengers.
The C919 is still undergoing evaluation by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), but its operational footprint is steadily growing. Although China Eastern Airlines currently operates the largest C919 fleet, with 10 aircraft in service and 105 more on order, over 1,000 orders have been placed for the jetliner, with clients spanning both domestic and international markets. COMAC plans to ramp up production and commercialisation in 2025 to meet rising demand.
