Originally published in Jetstream Magazine by Daniel Mena.
It was a gray September morning at Hong Kong International Airport.
Typhoon Tapa had left me stranded in Macau for three days, but after some time with friends, I was excited to be in the air again. For most travelers at Gate 17, this was an ordinary hop to Shanghai – routine and forgettable. But for me, this was something far more significant.
I was about to board China's COMAC C919, a new, homegrown airliner that had entered service only two years earlier, and one that had carried ambitions reaching far beyond the runway.
The COMAC C919 is China's domestically-produced short-haul airliner, designed to compete against Boeing and Airbus in an increasingly competitive market. Although the aircraft is still looking to acquire certification outside of China, it is currently being increasingly utilized in regional Chinese routes by Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern.
| Airline | Departure | Arrival |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Chengdu (TFU) |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Guangzhou (CAN) |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Taiyuan (TYN) |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Chongqing (CKG) |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Xi'an (XIY) |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Beijing (PEK) |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Beijing (PKX) |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Shenyang (SHE) |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Wuhan (WUH) |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Xiamen (XMN) |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Shenzhen (SZX) |
| China Eastern | Shanghai (SHA) | Hong Kong (HKG) |
| China Southern | Guangzhou (CAN) | Taiyuan (TYN) |
| China Southern | Guangzhou (CAN) | Changsha (CSX) |
| China Southern | Guangzhou (CAN) | Shanghai (SHA) |
| China Southern | Guangzhou (CAN) | Zhengzhou (CGO) |
| China Southern | Guangzhou (CAN) | Xi'an (XIY) |
| China Southern | Guangzhou (CAN) | Wuhan (WUH) |
| China Southern | Changsha (CSX) | Beijing (PKX) |
| Air China | Beijing (PEK) | Chongqing (CKG) |
| Air China | Beijing (PEK) | Hangzhou (HGH) |
| Air China | Beijing (PEK) | Chengdu (CTU) |
| Air China | Beijing (PEK) | Wuhan (WUH) |
| Air China | Beijing (PEK) | Shanghai (SHA) |
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