China’s home-grown passenger jet to make first commercial international flight in August

China's homegrown C919 passenger jet is set to embark on its first scheduled international commercial flight route in August, signaling a major milestone in its global ambitions. Air China, the country's flagship carrier, will operate a daily round-trip service connecting Beijing and Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The inaugural flight is scheduled to commence on August 12. The outbound flight, CA723, will depart from Beijing Capital International Airport at 3 p.m. local time, arriving at Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar at 5:15 p.m. The return flight, CA724, is slated to depart Ulaanbaatar at 6:30 p.m. local time, landing back in Beijing at 8:35 p.m. The Beijing-Ulaanbaatar route has a long history, dating back to 1958, and is currently served by both Air China and MIAT Mongolian Airlines. While this flight represents the C919's international debut, the aircraft has already been integrated into regional services. China Eastern Airlines began scheduled flights with the C919 between Shanghai and Hong Kong in January 2025, followed by Air China's regular services on the Beijing-Hong Kong route in November of the same year. This expansion into international passenger service is a crucial step for the C919 program as it seeks to compete with established global aircraft manufacturers.