With 159 passengers onboard, China Eastern Airlines' ninth C919 jetliner was welcomed with a conventional water salute at the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport on Tuesday, marking the inaugural flight of China's first self-developed jet to the city in the southwest of the country.

China Eastern's C919 fleet is now operational in seven Chinese cities - Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu of Sichuan province, Xi'an of Shaanxi province, Guangzhou of Guangdong province and Taiyuan of Shanxi province.

Coded asB-657T, the C919 jetliner is the first C919 connected to a local area network, allowing passengers to better enjoy the in-flight entertainment via personal mobile electronic devices including phones, tablets and laptops, by connecting with the Wi-Fi. 

Being the first global customer of the C919, China Eastern currently has nine C919 jets, the plane's largest fleet worldwide, and the Shanghai-based carrier has purchased a total of 105 of the craft from its manufacturer, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China.

Since its maiden commercial flight on May 28, 2023, China Eastern's C919 fleet has conducted more than 5,500 commercial flights and as of Nov 21 2024, had safely carried more than 750,000 passengers. 

wang_ying@chinadaily.com.cn