The C919, China’s indigenous narrowbody airliner that epitomises Beijing’s sky-high tech aspirations, will enter its third year of commercial operations next week – a feat marked by ratcheted-up services and an expanding network.
And in the lead-up to the anniversary, China’s southern economic and tech powerhouse of Shenzhen, along with the popular tourist city of Xiamen in southeastern Fujian province, have become the latest additions to the C919’s network since last week, bringing the total number of mainland cities it serves to 15.
The C919 has also been shuttling between Shanghai and Hong Kong since January – the first cross-border daily service that the jet operates.
China is trying to secure more C919 orders at home and abroad, with aspirations to eventually rival established giants Boeing and Airbus.
The latest Shenzhen route means the C919 now serves all of China’s four top-tier urban centres, alongside Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Other key C919 destinations include Chongqing, Chengdu, Wuhan and Hangzhou – all ranked among China’s top-10 largest municipal economies in 2024.
Xian in Shaanxi province; Shenyang in Liaoning province; Taiyuan in Shanxi province; Wenzhou in Zhejiang province; Changsha in Hunan province; as well as Haikou and Sanya, two tourist hubs on the southern tropical resort island of Hainan, are among the other C919 destinations.
