Air China (CA, Beijing Capital) has introduced its first C919 into revenue service, operating daily between Beijing Capital and Shanghai Hongqiao, and between Beijing and Hangzhou.
Powered by CFM International LEAP engines, B-919X (msn 19) is less than a year old. It is the first of 105 C919s ordered by the carrier.
B-919X will be used on daily rotations connecting Beijing with Shanghai Hongqiao and Hangzhou. Air China previously used various aircraft types on these routes, including both narrow- and widebodies, according to Flightradar24 ADS-B data. Air China flies 104x weekly from Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao and 97x weekly to Hangzhou.
While its first scheduled flight was on September 10, 2024, B-919X operated a number of test flights from September 1. The airline took delivery of the aircraft in late August, concurrently with China Southern Airlines. The aircraft is the first C919 in an extended-range variant and seats up to 158 passengers. Air China plans to take two more C919s in 2024.
In terms of COMAC aircraft, Air China also operates twenty-nine ARJ21-700s, of which three are inactive.