China Southern Airlines expands fleet with domestically developed C919 plane

A new C919 jet landed at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on Thursday morning after a two-hour flight from Shanghai. The plane had been delivered to China Southern Airlines the previous night, marking a milestone in the carrier's fleet expansion.

The domestically developed single-aisle C919 plane is expected to begin commercial operation between the airport in Guangzhou and Shanghai's Hongqiao International Airport beginning Sept 19 after further testing, said Ma Xulun, Chairman of Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines.

"The operation of the C919 is a major and joyful event in the development history of China Southern Airlines, the largest air carrier of the country by fleet size, which plays an important role in optimizing the fleet structure and route network of airlines and promoting its high-quality development," Ma made his remarks at a ceremony to receive his company's first C919 in Guangzhou on Thursday.

Comparable to the narrow-body Airbus A320 and the Boeing B737 series, the C919 has 158 to 192 seats and a flying range of 4,075 kilometers to 5,555 km.