China's C919 high-altitude jet makes test flight

(ECNS) -- China's C919 passenger jet's high-altitude variant made its first flight test on Wednesday, marking a great progress in the development of the C919 aircraft family, according to developer Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC) of China.

The passenger jet took off from the fourth runway of Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 7:59 a.m. Beijing time and completed all scheduled test-flight tasks.

The C919 plateau variant is jointly developed by COMAC and Tibet Airlines. Based on the standard C919, it features a shortened fuselage and high-altitude modifications, seats 140 to 160 passengers, and is designed to operate at all high-altitude airports in China.

A C919 jetliner completed a flight from southwest China's Sichuan Province to the neighboring Xizang Autonomous Region in September 2024, marking the aircraft's first landing in Xizang.

(By Intern Lin Qiaochu, Zhang Dongfang)