The Chinese-made Comac C919 passenger jet is scheduled to undertake its first international flight today, 12 August 2026. The Air China flight will depart from Beijing Capital International Airport at 3pm, landing in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, just over two hours later.
The C919, manufactured by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), has been operating on domestic routes for Chinese airlines since 2023. This flight to Ulaanbaatar will be its first commercial international service.
The aircraft is similar in size to the Boeing 737 and has been presented as China's alternative to the dominance of Boeing and Airbus in global aviation. However, analysts suggest it could take generations for a Chinese aircraft to significantly challenge this global market.