A C919 large passenger jetliner takes off at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, east China, Dec 26, 2022. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
The country’s domestically developed C919 and ARJ21 aircraft will visit the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the first time from Dec 12 through Dec 17.
Jointly hosted by the Civil Aviation Department and the Airport Authority Hong Kong, the event also marks the first time the narrow-body C919 will make a voyage out of the Chinese mainland.
Besides a static display of the single-aisle C919 jet and the ARJ21 regional jet at Hong Kong International Airport during their stay in the city, the C919 will conduct a demonstration flight over Victoria Harbour for members of the public to witness the airliner’s first appearance over Hong Kong skies.
The C919 is a large commercial passenger aircraft strictly designed, manufactured and certificated in accordance with international airworthiness standards. The first commercial C919 aircraft was delivered to an airline in December 2022 and it came into service in 2023. Meanwhile, the ARJ21 — the first turbofan regional aircraft independently designed and manufactured by China — began commercial operation in 2016 and was brought into the international market last year following an official delivery to its overseas customer.
The two planes highlight the achievements in the development of the nation’s aviation engineering, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said, welcoming the aircraft’s inaugural visit to the city.
Lee also expressed his gratitude for the country’s support for the SAR’s aviation industry and its role as an international aviation hub.
“The city’s Civil Aviation Department had been actively working on various certification and assessment work of the C919,” he said, adding that he felt encouraged as personnel from the SAR could participate in the project of the nation’s homegrown aircraft.
The domestic aircraft duo will receive a ceremonial water salute on their arrival at HKIA on Dec 12 afternoon, the government said in a statement on Tuesday.
After a welcoming ceremony on the morning of Dec 13, the two domestic aircraft will be staged on a static display at the designated area of HKIA from Dec 13-15. Representatives of local and overseas aviation industry, as well as members of youth groups and district organizations, will be invited on board to have a close encounter with the aircraft.
On Dec 16, the C919 will take off at around 10:30 am from HKIA and overfly Victoria Harbour from west to east. It will then fly around Hong Kong Island twice for members of the public to admire this homegrown aircraft up close.
The same afternoon, representatives from Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China will accept the invitation to meet with young people at the CAD Headquarters to share interesting facts about the knowledge and development of the C919 and the ARJ21 aircraft.
The two aircraft will then leave Hong Kong for Shanghai on Dec 17.
“The successful productions of these two civilian passenger aircraft mark a significant milestone for the national aviation manufacturing industry,” reads the government statement.
With the recovery of the aviation industry in full swing and to consolidate Hong Kong’s role as an international aviation hub, the CAD will organize a full range of activities, the statement said.
“The HKIA is honored to be the first airport outside the mainland to receive the C919 aircraft. At HKIA, we greatly admire and are inspired by the innovative spirit and technological prowess that underpin the development of the C919,” said Airport Authority Hong Kong CEO Fred Lam Tin-fuk.
