C919 jet carries over 8.4m passengers

LANZHOU — China's C919 passenger jet has carried more than 8.4 million passengers and served 27 cities since entering commercial service, Shen Bo, president of the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, said on Thursday.

Speaking at an industry conference in Dunhuang, Northwest China's Gansu province, Shen said COMAC has also continued to expand the regional aviation network served by its C909 aircraft, a regional jet designed for short and medium-haul routes.

The C909 has safely carried more than 41 million passengers since entering commercial service, Shen said, adding that the aircraft is providing travelers with more convenient options.

Wang Changshun, chairman of the China Air Transport Association, said China's regional aviation fleet has been rapidly transforming in recent years, with domestic aircraft accounting for a substantially larger share.

The C919 is accelerating its scale-up in commercial operations, while the C909 has become a mainstay of the regional aviation market, contributing to the high-quality development of China's regional aviation sector, he said.

The C919 is the first trunk jetliner independently developed by China in accordance with international airworthiness standards and with independent intellectual property rights.

The baseline model is designed for 158 to 192 passengers with a range of 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers. It completed its first commercial flight in May 2023. After successful operations on multiple domestic routes, the aircraft completed its first scheduled international commercial passenger flight in August.

The C909, formerly known as the ARJ21, entered commercial service in 2016. According to COMAC, it is suitable for regional airports or sub-hub airports to build route networks and supplement transport capacity for hub airports.

China's civil aviation market continued to expand in 2025, carrying 770 million passenger trips, up 5.5 percent year-on-year, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

The country's latest five-year plan for civil aviation development from 2026-30 calls for improving transport infrastructure, efficiency and services, as well as fostering independent innovation and industrial integration. It sets a 2030 goal of reaching world-class standards in aviation safety, service capacity and infrastructure.

XINHUA-CHINA DAILY