C919 lands at Lhasa for first time

China's domestically developed single-aisle aircraft C919 landed at Lhasa, Xizang autonomous region, for the first time on Thursday, as the aircraft model will carry out test flights and adaptability checks for ultra-high-altitude airports.

The C919 jet, operated by its developer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, or COMAC, departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on Thursday morning and arrived at Lhasa Kongga Airport after about two hours of flight.

Lhasa Kongga Airport, located at an altitude of 3,569 meters, is surrounded by mountains, and the meteorological environment has been complex. It boasts high requirements for the aircraft's operations.

The C919 aircraft will carry out research and development test flights of key systems for high-altitude operations, including environmental-control systems, avionics and power units, COMAC said.

The plane will also take adaptability checks for ultra-high-altitude airports to lay the foundation for meeting the operational needs of ultra-high-altitude routes and the R&D of high-altitude aircraft models in the future.

Meanwhile, China's first home-developed regional passenger jet ARJ21 is taking its month-long ultra-high-altitude demonstration flights around the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau to fully verify the adaptability of the model to ultra-high-altitude airports and routes. The C919 and the ARJ21 gathered in Lhasa, the "roof of the world", on Thursday.