China Eastern Airlines took delivery of the 4th C919, a narrow-body commercial jet entirely developed in China.
Delivery was made by COMAC, its manufacturer, on Tuesday in Shanghai. The aircraft registration number B-919E took off from Pudong International Airport at 9:44 am and landed at Hongqiao International Airport at 10:02 am, according to a statement released by the Chinese government.
One of the country’s largest carriers, China Eastern Airlines is the launch customer of the C919, an aircraft configured with 164 seats and which is a direct competitor to the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737.
The first C919 was delivered in December 2022 and entered service on May 28, 2023. The second aircraft, in turn, was received in July and began revenue flights in August.
The third aircraft (B-919D) was only delivered by COMAC on December 9 and entered commercial operation days later.
China Eastern Airlines has an initial order for five aircraft closed in 2021 and is expected to receive the 5th C919 soon.
The likely plane made its maiden flight on December 31 and would have serial number 00011.
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Still in 2024, COMAC will begin deliveries of the second and larger order, with 100 aircraft. The schedule foresees five more C919s in 2024, 10 planes per year between 2025 and 2027, 15 planes per year between 2028 and 2030 and 20 jets in 2031.
