Airlines

China Eastern Airlines set to operate C919’s first commercial flight

COMAC C919 aircraft Receives more than 1,000 jet orders

The first commercial flight of China’s homegrown C919 narrow-body jet will take place on Sunday, according to information displayed on the carrier’s app on Friday. China Eastern Airlines is the aircraft’s first customer.

The C919 flight will depart Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport as flight MU9191 at 10:45 a.m. Beijing time (02:45 GMT) and land at Beijing Capital Airport at 1:10 p.m.

C919 plane from China is given the go-ahead(Opens in a new browser tab)

China Eastern announced on Thursday that C919 would be placed into service “in the near future” and that Shanghai would serve as the aircraft’s primary base while it is in commercial service. A promotional stamp will be released to mark the C919’s inaugural commercial flight, the Shanghai Stamp Collecting Corporation announced on Tuesday.

The C919 can accommodate 164 passengers in its two-class cabin, which is divided into business and economy seats. GE, Safran, and Honeywell International are just a few examples of Western manufacturers whose engines and avionics are used in the aircraft, despite the fact that it is manufactured in China.

COMAC C919 Successfully Completes Flight Tests(Opens in a new browser tab)

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), which is the manufacturer of the C919, received a type certificate from the CAAC in September. On December 26, 2022, CEA started its first C919 aircraft’s 100-hour verification flight to check and confirm the operational safety of the aircraft.

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Airlines

First Look: IndiGo Takes Delivery of A321neo with New Business Class

India’s largest domestic airline, IndiGo (6E), celebrated its 18th anniversary in August 2024 by announcing a major upgrade: a new Business Class product called “IndiGo Stretch.”

Now, the airline has officially taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo aircraft fitted with these premium seats. Registered as VT-ICF, this first A321neo with the new configuration took off from Hamburg (XFW) at 6:06 PM local time, operating flight 6E9001.

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The launch route for IndiGo’s A321neo with IndiGo Stretch seats will be from Delhi to Mumbai, starting November 14, 2024. After this initial route, the airline plans to expand the offering across its network.

Airbus completed the final assembly of this special aircraft in Hamburg, where the A321neo Final Assembly Line is located. Enthusiastic planespotters got a sneak peek of the new IndiGo Stretch interior before the aircraft’s official delivery to India.

Tobias Gudat, a planespotter on X.com, captured images of the aircraft, still marked with its test registration, showcasing its fresh Business Class interior.

#A321neo #IndiGo VT-ICF
MSN12081
with "means business" sticker pic.twitter.com/E8q6PTlgdY— Tobi (@Tobias_Gudat) October 21, 2024

Adding a distinctive touch, each IndiGo aircraft featuring the Stretch product will have the slogan “IndiGo Means Business” displayed on the fuselage, signaling a new era of premium travel for the airline.

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IndiGo took delivery of the A321neo with the Stretch seats on October 30, 2024, coinciding with Airbus’s delivery of the world’s first A321XLR to Iberia.