China Eastern Airlines (CEA) took delivery of its very first C919 aircraft, with the registration number B-919A, on December 9, 2022.
A 15-minute maiden flight of the C919 aircraft was conducted by three senior CEA pilots from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport to the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. After arriving at the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and passing through a water gate, the aircraft was officially commissioned into the fleet of CEA.
A pattern of a Chinese seal reading "world's first C919" in Chinese is printed on the front part of the plane delivered.
According to (Commercial Aviation Corp of China) COMAC, the new C919 features an advanced aerodynamic design, propulsion system, and materials, as well as lower carbon emissions and higher fuel efficiency. The aircraft has a 164-seat configuration with a two-class cabin layout, including 8 business class seats and 156 economy class seats. In the economy cabin, the middle seat in each three-seat row is 1.5 cm wider than its neighboring ones, offering more comfort for the passengers.
COMAC expects to produce around 25 C919s per year by 2030. The first C919 is expected to be put into commercial use in the spring of 2023.
CEA, as the world's first airline operator for C919, boasts a fleet of nearly 800 airplanes and plans to receive the remaining four of its first batch of C919 orders over the next two years.