Air China's first C919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, has successfully completed its maiden commercial flight from Beijing to Shanghai on Tuesday.
The flight numbered CA1523 departed from Beijing Capital International Airport at around 11:00 and arrived at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport at around 13:00.
Three hours before the flight departure, many passengers were already in the check-in area of Beijing Capital International Airport, eagerly preparing for the first flight.
"I have been closely following the information about the maiden flight. When the first C919 operated by China Eastern Airlines took off, I was on board too. Everything was brandnew on the plane. I felt so proud," said a passenger surnamed Chang.
"I am quite excited about the maiden flight of the home-made large aircraft today. There is also a special option on ticket-buying apps, so that you can select 919. I think I will experience it more (in the future)," said a passenger surnamed Cheng.
The C919 project was launched in 2007. Developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC), the first C919 aircraft rolled off the production line in Shanghai in November 2015.
The plane conducted a successful maiden flight in 2017.
In the following years, the C919 conducted several test flights in different locations to test its capabilities.
On Dec. 9, 2022, the first C919 aircraft was delivered to its first customer, China Eastern Airlines. The airlines completed the maiden commercial flight of C919 on May 28, 2023, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market.
Currently, China Eastern Airlines, Air China and China Southern Airlines have all received their ordered homegrown C919 passenger jets.
Air China's first C919 completes maiden commercial flight
China's equipment trade-in subsidy policy introduced earlier this year has played a significant role in encouraging consumers to purchase smarter and more energy-efficient products, particularly home appliances.
China's State Council released an action plan in March to initiate large-scale equipment upgrades and trade-ins of consumer goods -- nearly 15 years since the last such round of renewals.
This policy, part of the Chinese government's green transition strategy, aims to encourage consumers to choose energy-efficient products.
During this year's Double Twelve (December 12) shopping festival, massive discounts coupled with the government's trade-in subsidy policy, have motivated many people to upgrade their home appliances.
"[We've come here] because we heard about the government subsidies. [The appliances] at home are old, so [we've decided] to replace them with new ones," said a resident.
"[I prefer purchasing home appliances] from physical stores. I just like to see the actual products -- things I can see and touch. And I don't want to buy [these kinds of items] online," said another resident.
Again in the second half of this year, the Chinese government introduced a trade-in policy allowing consumers to trade in old home appliances for new ones, offering subsidies for eight categories of products, including refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, as of December 7, nearly 3 million customers have purchased related products, driving sales to more than 200 billion yuan (about 27.5 billion U.S. dollars).
The greener and more energy-efficient the home appliances are, the greater discount consumers will enjoy. Besides, Jiangsu Province in east China's and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China have expanded the subsidy policy to include 3C digital products, such as computers and mobile phones.
"So far, nearly 300,000 residents in Beijing have already obtained eligibility for the country's trade-in subsidies through the Beijing Suning.com channel. In December, we anticipate that with the support of government subsidies and Suning's own discount and subsidy incentives, sales are expected to achieve a year-on-year growth of over 300 percent," said Wang Zhaotong, director of the Suning Consumer Electronics Sales and Procurement in Beijing.
With the continuous development of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, more and more consumers are willing to upgrade their home appliances to live a smarter life.
China's trade-in subsidy policy boosts home appliance sales
