China's COMAC C919 completes 1st scheduled international commercial flight

China’s domestically developed C919 passenger jet completed its first scheduled international commercial passenger flight on Wednesday, flying from Beijing to Mongolia, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.

The aircraft departed from Beijing Capital International Airport and landed safely at the new Ulaanbaatar airport in Mongolia on Wednesday afternoon, where it was welcomed with a water salute ceremony.

The Beijing-Ulaanbaatar service is the first international route launched by the C919 since the aircraft entered commercial operation, marking its move into regular international passenger services.

The route will operate daily under flight numbers CA723 and CA724, Xinhua reported.

The flight also demonstrated that the aircraft had met the relevant bilateral civil aviation requirements for regular commercial operations between China and Mongolia, according to the report.

Developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the C919 is China’s first domestically developed large passenger jet designed for mainstream commercial aviation.

The aircraft made its maiden commercial flight in May 2023 and has since been deployed on several domestic routes.

The C919 is viewed as a key part of Beijing’s efforts to develop its domestic aviation industry and compete in a global passenger aircraft market long dominated by Boeing and Airbus.