China's thrust to raise the international profile of its domestically developed narrowbody airliner will shift into a higher gear next year, with the C919, already plying some of the busiest air routes at home, set to be more easily spotted in some parts of Asia, analysts predict.
The C919 will return to Hong Kong, one of the region's international gateway hubs, on the first day of the new year, China Eastern Airlines has confirmed. It will launch a daily return flight between Shanghai and Hong Kong as the home-grown model's first cross-border route.
The carrier is now taking delivery of its 10th C919 and is ramping up preparations to deploy the new plane on the Hong Kong route, according to a source at Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (Comac), the C919's manufacturer.
"The new jet being prepped will sport a new livery and its first flight to Hong Kong on Jan 1 will be kicked off at an event at Shanghai's Hongqiao airport," said the source, who declined to be named.
Observers say Hong Kong is a natural choice as the C919 seeks to raise its visibility beyond mainland skies and the jet could set a further course for regions that do not require aircraft certification by Western regulators as a prerequisite.
"Airlines need approval to fly a specific aircraft type to an overseas airport," said Mayur Patel, the Asia head at consultancy OAG, which is based in Britain and Singapore. "For C919 operators, they will require approval from a particular country. Given the C919's range, regional airports in Southeast Asia would be the ideal choice.
"The C919 can operate flights to various Asian airports, provided it meets regulatory and operational requirements of each country and C919 operators file for this aircraft type for use to those airports," he said, adding that Western certification might not be required.
The C919 is still being evaluated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
Jason Zheng, at Shanghai-based aviation information platform Airwefly, said Beijing could also help by expanding aircraft assessment mutual recognition arrangements and that the way the C919 is entering into commercial service in Hong Kong could be replicated elsewhere.
"Instead of launching a new route, China Eastern is adding the C919 to one of its existing Shanghai Hongqiao-Hong Kong routes and this can be a model for the jet to be deployed on mature Southeast Asia routes," Zheng said.
C919 operators China Eastern and China Southern Airlines boost extensive networks to Southeast Asia that have potential for new aircraft deployment. China, meanwhile, has signed deals for its airworthiness certification and maintenance standards to be recognised by Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar that contain cooperation and mutual assistance in aviation safety.
The C919 is no stranger to those countries. In February, having made a splashy debut at the Singapore Airshow, Comac took the model on demonstration flights to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Comac also opened an office in Singapore in October to oversee business across Southeast Asia and it also runs a service centre in Indonesia, where the C909 regional jet has been in service since 2022.
Zheng said Comac and C919 operators should first ensure smooth operations in Hong Kong.
"The city is Chinese territory but it is also a global aviation hub at China's doorstep, with procedures aligned with the top international standards," he said. "When the C919 goes there, flying alongside international airlines, it can help garner more attention from international travellers."
