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Air China's first C919 completes maiden commercial flight

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      China

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      Air China's first C919 completes maiden commercial flight

      2024-09-10 17:50 Last Updated At:20:37

      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

      Air China's first C919 completes maiden commercial flight

      An official with the World Economic Forum (WEF) has stressed the importance of establishing an adaptable mechanism for dialogue and cooperation that allows the global economy to fully benefit from the development potential of new technologies while managing the associated risks.

      Mirek Dusek, one of WEF's managing directors, was speaking on the sidelines of the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting, which commenced in Davos, Switzerland on Monday.

      The five-day event has gathered around 3,000 participants from various regions and industries around the world under the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age," highlighting the need for greater collaboration against a backdrop of rapid technological advancements and global divisions.

      In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Tuesday, Dusek said WEF is monitoring "two big forces" they believe are changing the world economy.

      "On one hand, we are living through quite a unique time in terms of technological advancement and innovation. But on the other hand, of course, we are also tracking forces of fragmentation. We are seeing a more competitive geopolitical landscape, shifting value chains and supply chains, and of course, also social polarization in certain societies around the world," he said.

      With the current uncertainties in the world, Dusek stressed the importance of building a suitable platform for dialogue, and ensuring that such a mechanisms is adaptable to respond to the various challenges.

      "Given the trends that we are seeing in the global economy, in international relations, that function of bridging and dialogue could not be more important. It's very important that we have mechanisms where we can have dialogue and cooperation, and of course,  we also need to be on the front foot of thinking, 'Okay, how do we make sure that the collaborative mechanisms are fit for the 21st century?'" he said, adding that this will be one of the focuses of the current Davos meeting.

       Dusek also emphasized China's vital role in promoting global economic growth and technological development, describing the country as a "key actor" in helping the world transition to a new era of tech-driven development.

      "Everyone understands that we need to be on our front foot, really thinking creatively around how do we relaunch growth that is inclusive, sustainable. But how do we relaunch growth in this new situation for the world economy? And China plays a very important role in that endeavor, on development, on trade, of course, as well. On technology, I mentioned the theme, 'The Intelligent Age'. What we are trying to communicate with that is that there is a huge opportunity around some of these technologies. What is quite special is that it's not only one technology, but we are seeing, at this moment, whole sets of technologies that are going to market and exponentially changing industry and economy. If we have this huge opportunity around these technologies, how do we design [not only] our dialogue mechanisms, but also our collaborative mechanisms to be able to harness these technologies for the benefit of the world economy while taking care of the risks," he said.

      WEF official calls for mechanisms to foster dialogue in new tech era, boost world economy

      WEF official calls for mechanisms to foster dialogue in new tech era, boost world economy

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