China Eastern Airlines takes delivery of its sixth COMAC C919 and makes first revenue flight outside China

China Eastern Airlines has added the sixth COMAC C919 to its fleet, coinciding with the first anniversary of the first commercial flight of the Chinese-made passenger jet.

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Another significant milestone for COMAC and China Eastern Airlines is that on June 1, the carrier completed the first commercial flight of a C919 outside of China. The airline operated a charter flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai, transporting students participating in an exchange program.

The C919 has completed several international flights but without paying passengers on board. These were for presentation purposes at the Singapore Airshow and to showcase the aircraft to potential customers in Hong Kong.

In early 2024, a C919 embarked on an international tour, visiting Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The tour aimed to attract potential customers in Southeast Asia.

According to Al Eqtesadieh, COMAC plans to showcase the C919 in Saudi Arabia, seeking international expansion for its product.

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Vincent Coste, the Chief Commercial Officer of Riyadh Air, recently confirmed that a significant order for narrow-body aircraft will be announced in the coming weeks.

While the focus for this order is on Boeing and Airbus, the alleged tour in Saudi Arabia suggests that COMAC might compete for this order.

The COMAC C919 has nearly 1,000 firm orders, most of them from Chinese airlines and leasing companies. As of today, there are six C919s operational worldwide, all operated by China Eastern Airlines.