China Eastern Airlines to operate more C919 planes
Li Yangmin, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the general manager of China Eastern Airlines, proposed to scale up operation of domestically manufactured civilian aircraft while phasing in an operational coordination mechanism.
Li said that large-scale commercial operation of home-developed aircraft is still in its nascent stage, and it is of importance to continuously explore a proper operational model and elevate core competitiveness of domestically manufactured planes.
He noted that China Eastern Airlines have already set up a close coordinating mechanism with Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China from the development and manufacturing phase of the C919 plane, which has played an important role in promoting the smooth operation of the passenger jet.
Li vowed to strengthen close coordination between the upstream and downstream of the industry chain for C919. He proposed to improve the guarantee system to ensure the operational efficiency and increase the plane's market competitiveness.
The Chinese-developed ARJ21 and C919 aircraft, which made their debut at the recent Singapore Airshow, have made demonstration flights in five countries, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia, the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) said.
The demonstration flights aim to verify the planes' adaptability for airports, suitability of ground service equipment, applicability of special flight procedures and other functions, laying the foundation to explore the Southeast Asian market, COMAC said.
The C919 completed its first commercial flight on May 28, 2023. COMAC has delivered four aircraft to China Eastern Airlines. The planes are in service on the Shanghai-Beijing and Shanghai-Chengdu routes, and they have carried more than 130,000 passengers.
