First C919 delivered to China Eastern Airlines

The first C919 aircraft, China's domestically developed C919 large jetliner, is delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022. (Photo/Screenshot on CNS Video)

(ECNS) -- The first C919 aircraft, China's domestically developed C919 large jetliner, was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Friday.

Registered as B-919A, the C919 has 164 seats, with eight seats in the business class, and 156 seats in the economy class. 

Passenger service is expected to begin as early as spring 2023.

Comparable to the Airbus A320 and the Boeing B737 series, C919 has 158 to 168 seats and a flying range of 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers. 

Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the C919's developer, received 300 orders for C919 jet at the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province last month.

C919 made its maiden flight in 2017 and received a certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China in September of this year.