Summary
- China’s domestically produced civil passenger aircraft, the C919 and the ARJ21, will visit Hong Kong next week.
- Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department actively participated in the development of the C919, contributing to its model evaluation work and sending an expert for flight crew testing.
- Hong Kong International Airport will become the first outside mainland China to welcome the C919, marking a milestone for COMAC in promoting its aircraft to the wider world.
Just days after Hong Kong welcomed a manned space delegation, including Chinese astronauts from mainland China, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu revealed to the media today that China’s domestically produced civil passenger aircraft will make its inaugural visit to Hong Kong next week.
According to the announced plan, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) will arrange for its C919 and ARJ21 aircraft to visit Hong Kong from December 12th to 17th. During this period, there will be static displays at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), and the C919 aircraft is scheduled to perform a demonstration flight over Victoria Harbour on Saturday, December 16th. This will be the first visit of the C919 aircraft to a city outside mainland China.
The last demonstration flight over Victoria Harbor took place seven years ago during the retirement flight of Cathay Pacific’s final Boeing 747 aircraft.
Hong Kong’s involvement in the development of C919
Regarding the visit of China’s domestically manufactured civil aircraft to Hong Kong, John Lee Ka-chiu expressed that it embodies the “nation’s emphasis on the development of Hong Kong’s aerospace industry and its international aviation hub status.” He also mentioned:
“I welcome the first visit by the C919 and the ARJ21, and I also want to thank the country’s civil aviation administration and the COMAC for their full support.”
Victor Liu, the director general of Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department, disclosed that the department has actively participated in the initial research and development of the C919 since 2012, following an invitation from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). He noted that the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department had been actively involved in the model evaluation work of the C919. Last year, they dispatched a flight operations expert to Shanghai for two months to participate in the C919 T5 flight crew test.
Photo: COMAC
Lin Tianfu, Chief Executive of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, expressed deep honor for Hong Kong International Airport to become the first airport outside mainland China to welcome the C919 aircraft. He looks forward to further strengthening cooperation with mainland partners to contribute to the development of a world-class aviation industry for the country.
The ARJ21 is China’s first independently designed and manufactured regional jet with a turbofan engine. It entered commercial operation in 2016 and was officially delivered to its first overseas customer, the Indonesian airline TransNusa, in 2022, marking its entry into the international market.
TransNusa Praises COMAC ARJ21 And Eyes Future C919 Operations
The airline’s CEO is pleased with the COMAC regional jet’s performance.
The C919 aircraft is a large passenger jet designed, manufactured, and certified in strict accordance with international airworthiness standards. In December 2022, the C919 was delivered for the first time to the state-owned Chinese airline China Eastern Airlines, and it commenced commercial operations in early 2023. Currently, COMAC has delivered two C919 aircraft to China Eastern Airlines, and reports indicate that the third C919 aircraft will also be delivered to China Eastern Airlines later this month.
China Eastern Airlines Now Has 2 COMAC C919s In Regular Service
The Chinese carrier has introduced two of the new jet.
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