First C919 kicks off 100-hour verification flight

China Eastern Airlines, which received the world's first C919 earlier this month, announced the launch of a 100-hour verification flight starting Monday. 

Prior to the commercial operation, the test flights will fully verify the reliability of the preparation work conducted by China Eastern for the C919, confirming the home-grown large passenger aircraft can offer passengers a safe and comfortable journey, the CAAC News reported.

After the test flights, the Shanghai-based carrier would receive a corresponding operation license issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, verifying its capability to operate the aircraft safely.

C919's manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, or COMAC, delivered its first C919 jet to China Eastern on December 9, making China Eastern the first user of the model worldwide. 

As China's first self-developed narrow-body jet, C919 made its maiden flight in 2017, and will come into commercial operation in spring 2023.

wang_ying@chinadaily.com.cn