Early in the morning of December 20, passenger Zhou Lan rushed to Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, and he deliberately chose this day to take a round-trip flight from Chengdu Tianfu to Shijiazhuang Zhengding, specifically to experience the first flight of Air China's first ARJ21 aircraft in southwest China, a new generation of domestic regional jet airliners.
At 7:48 a.m., an ARJ21 aircraft numbered B91AF took off from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, and 79 passengers on flight CA2733 flew to the North China Plain, and the plane landed smoothly at Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport at 9:44 a.m. This marks the successful maiden flight of Air China's first ARJ21 aircraft in southwest China, and the addition of another domestic aircraft to the blue sky of the motherland.
It is understood that the passenger load factor of Air China's first flight in southwest China ARJ21 aircraft reached 88%. Passengers are full of expectations and curiosity about the domestic civil aircraft. Although it was an early morning flight, passengers were eager to check in on the check-in board for the first flight. Some lucky passengers also received special souvenirs of their maiden flight.
Since Air China's first ARJ21 aircraft in the southwest was added to the fleet, Zhou Lan has been paying attention to the first flight, and with his love for domestic aircraft, he specially chose to take the round-trip flight of this inaugural flight to experience the charm of the new generation of domestic regional jets. Ms. Chen, a passenger, also expressed her expectations for the inaugural flight: to take a domestic civil aircraft to soar into the blue sky and experience a different feeling. The passengers who took the inaugural flight were excited and expressed their deep wishes for the domestic aircraft: they hoped that the domestic civil aircraft would fly higher and better.
On December 5, the first ARJ21 aircraft entered Air China's Southwest fleet. Air China's Southwest Branch has made full and meticulous preparations for the inaugural flight of the ARJ21 aircraft, and has held several special meetings to continuously optimize the support process and improve the implementation of safety control measures. In addition, real aircraft drills have been organized, focusing on the differences between ARJ21-700 models and Airbus, Boeing and other models, and carry out on-site operation specifications verification.
It is estimated that by 2025, the number of ARJ21 passenger aircraft managed by Air China's Southwest Branch will reach 12, mainly for flights between Chengdu Tianfu and domestic destinations, providing passengers with new choices and new experiences for air travel.
Chengdu **Jinguan News Reporter Yang Fu Editor-in-charge He Qitie Editor Wang Qi Photo courtesy of Air China Southwest.