China Eastern Airlines (MU, Shanghai Hongqiao) has taken delivery of the world's first C919 amid plans to induct it into revenue service in summer 2023.
B-919A (msn 107) was officially handed over on December 9, 2022, following a delivery flight from Shanghai Pudong to nearby Shanghai Hongqiao.
The aircraft, which was previously registered as B-001J as a testbed for manufacturer COMAC, is configured to seat up to 164 passengers, including eight in business class and 156 in economy. China Eastern has allocated a pool of 24 type-rated pilots to conduct the necessary proving flights, which are expected to take a few months. The carrier will deploy its first C919 to a range of airports on its domestic network. Once it completes certification, it expects to begin revenue operations at some point in spring 2023.
China Eastern Airlines expects to take another four C919s in 2023.
