COMAC’s new compact C919 variant completes first test flight in Shanghai

Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) has completed the maiden test flight of its new compact C919 aircraft variant in Shanghai.

On July 29, 2026, COMAC said its first C919 high-altitude prototype flew for one hour and 59 minutes after departing Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG).

According to COMAC, the C919-600, currently registered B-002U, completed “all scheduled test flight maneuvers”, marking a marking a “significant step forward in the C919 series development”.

“Based on the basic model, the C919 high-altitude prototype incorporates targeted design features such as a shorter fuselage and improved system functions to meet the requirements of high-altitude operations,” COMAC said in a press release following the flight.

Flightradar24 data reported that the C919-600 took off from Shanghai Pudong at 07:59 and landed back at the airport at 09:58.