May 28, 2023, saw the first commercial service ever of a COMAC C919 airliner, with a China Eastern Airlines C919 operating flight MU9191 between Shanghai-Hongqiao (SHA) and Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) with 130 passengers onboard.
Upon arrival to the Chinese capital’s airport, the China Eastern C919 was greeted with the traditional water cannon salute to mark the occasion.
This C919 is China’s answer to the popular and ubiquitous Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families of aircraft, which have been the workhorse of the global airliner industry throughout the last decades.
Today’s flight is the culmination of 15 years of development. The C919 program officially launched in 2008 and the first flight took place in 2017.
Over 500 C919s have been ordered, mostly from Chinese airlines and leasing companies.