A delivery ceremony of the first C919 aircraft to two Chinese airlines, Air China - the country's flag carrier - and China Southern Airlines, is held on August 28, 2024 in Shanghai. Photo: Tu Lei/GT

China Eastern Airlines on Sunday welcomed its 500,000th C919 passenger surnamed Lu after 15 months of operation, on a flight from Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province to Shanghai. This shows travelers' enthusiasm for the China-built large passenger aircraft.

The milestone came after two Chinese airlines, Air China (the country's flag carrier) and China Southern Airlines, received their first C919s in Shanghai on Wednesday. It marked the start of multi-user operations for the C919 jet, and it is widely believed that further commercial flights with the C919 could follow as more players join in.

So far, China's domestically produced C919 fleet under China Eastern Airlines has carried more than 500,000 passengers, including the lucky Lu on more than 3,700 commercial flights since May 28, 2023, China Eastern said on Sunday. The planes have accumulated more than 10,000 safe flight hours.

China Eastern was the first global user of the C919. Since it welcomed the first aircraft on December 9, 2022, its fleet has grown to seven C919s, flying five routes among the cities of Shanghai, Beijing, and other Chinese cities. 

The C919 is being used by multiple airlines, and it is believed that there will be more commercial flights to serve more customers, paving the way for a larger market share, according to market watchers. 

China Southern Airlines announced on Thursday that its C919 passenger plane is scheduled to make its maiden commercial flight from Guangzhou to Shanghai on September 19.

To date, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, the manufacturer of the C919, has delivered nine C919 aircraft, all to three leading Chinese airlines. 

Global Times