Shanghai-bound internship students leave Hong Kong on mainland Chinese-built C919 jet’s first commercial flight from city
- Chief Secretary Eric Chan says at take-off ceremony that flight will be an ‘unforgettable experience’ for students
- Chan says he hopes more of the city’s people will get the chance to fly on the C919, which went into service last year
Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, the government’s No 2 official, said at a take-off ceremony at the city’s airport that it would be an unforgettable experience for the students to fly on the C919 airliner and get a first-hand understanding of national development.
He added he hoped more of the city’s young people and residents would have the opportunity to fly on the plane, which went into service last year, and on other types of domestically made aircraft.
“Today, we will witness two ‘firsts’ together – the country’s domestically developed C919 plane will make its first commercial flight in Hong Kong, and it is the first time that the C919 will carry a group of university students from Hong Kong to the mainland for exchange and internship,” he said.
Chan noted that a C919, along with an ARJ21 jet designed for regional routes, visited Hong Kong last December.
“This series of activities is a good example of patriotic education, which not only makes Hong Kong’s young people deepen their understanding of the country’s aviation development, but also enhances their identity and pride in the country,” Chan said.
Some students on the government-funded programme said before take-off that they were delighted to fly on the jet.
“I feel so excited and honoured to be able to board the C919’s first flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai and learn more about the industry behind the country’s domestically built aircraft,” one said.
“I’m excited and looking forward to it as it is my first time flying on the domestically made plane,” another added.
The Transport and Logistics Bureau said the flight of a C919 from Hong Kong to Shanghai marked a milestone in cooperation between the two cities.
The bureau agreed the flight allowed young Hongkongers to experience the country’s achievements in the aircraft industry, which helped cultivate patriotism and promote innovative thinking.
The C919 is China’s first domestically developed narrowbody passenger jet.
It was created to compete with the American Boeing 737 and Europe’s Airbus A320 family of single-aisle aircraft.
It can carry between 158 and 192 passengers and was designed for medium-haul routes.
The C919 has a range of 5,555km (3,452 miles), about the distance between Hong Kong and the Maldives or the United Arab Emirates.
The plane, along with an ARJ21, touched down in Hong Kong in December and attracted a crowd of hundreds along the Victoria Harbour waterfront to watch a fly-past over the city.
Enthusiasts hailed the two aircraft as a fresh start for the country’s aviation industry.
