China Eastern’s Fleet Expansion: The Arrival of Its Sixth COMAC C919

The next aircraft are likely headed to Air China or China Southern.

A C919 parked at Chengdu’s Tianfu International Airport | (Photo: AirlineGeeks Lei Yan)

[ Aircraft Orders and Deliveries ]May 30, 2024 3:13 pm ET

By Lei Yan

On May 28, China Eastern officially received its sixth COMAC C919 from the manufacturer, registration number B-919G. The carrier ferried the jet from Shanghai’s Pudong Airport to Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport, located on the other side of the city. This C919 is the first of the 100 jet orders from China Eastern to COMAC, and the delivery date was on the first anniversary of C919’s commencement of commercial service.

The newly arrived COMAC C919 is set to commence commercial operations on May 30. It will serve the route between Shanghai’s Hongqiao International Airport and Beijing’s Daxing International Airport. China Eastern’s C919 fleet also serves Chengdu and Xi’an.

Future Deliveries

According to the new release by COMAC, the seventh C919 is already in the final stage of testing and will be delivered to China Eastern soon. Based on the annual reports of Air China and China Southern, both state-owned airlines will receive their C919s this year. We can speculate that the eighth C919 may be its first delivery to Air China or China Southern.

Where Is the C919 Going to Fly Next?

China Eastern is flying a COMAC C919 charter flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai on June 1 for a Hong Kong Youth Camp. This charter flight will be the first C919 commercial flight outside of Mainland China.

As the C919 fleet grows, China Eastern may likely expand its C919 services to more cities. Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the Guangdong province will likely be the candidates for potential C919 destinations, as China Southern, the upcoming operator of the jet, will operate its new aircraft from the carrier’s bases in the Southern province of China, Guangdong. Service there will help local airports to gain experience with the new jet.

On the international front, we currently have no confirmation on any international routes that COMAC’s C919 may serve, as its certification with EASA and the FAA is still ongoing. However, COMAC has flown the prototype jet to Southeast Asian nations such as Singapore, Cambodia, and Vietnam for demonstrations.

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Lei Yan

Lei is from Inner Mongolia, China, and now lives in Guangzhou. He grew up in an aviation family, where his passion began. During his time at Penn State University, he studied Industrial Engineering specializing in operations research, and he graduated with an honor’s thesis on airport gate assignment optimization. Now, he is a Purchasing Manager with Procter & Gamble. In his free time, he enjoys flying, reading, and wandering around the city.

Author

Lei Yan

Lei is from Inner Mongolia, China, and now lives in Guangzhou. He grew up in an aviation family, where his passion began. During his time at Penn State University, he studied Industrial Engineering specializing in operations research, and he graduated with an honor’s thesis on airport gate assignment optimization. Now, he is a Purchasing Manager with Procter & Gamble. In his free time, he enjoys flying, reading, and wandering around the city.
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