Two China's homegrown jets C919 and ARJ21 to be exhibited in HK next week

China's home-developed aircrafts C919 and ARJ21 will visit Hong Kong for six days starting next Tuesday (Dec 12), with the highlight falling on next Saturday (Dec 16) as there will be a demonstration flight over Victoria Harbour.

It is the first time for both planes to visit the city and marks the C919's first voyage out of the mainland.

The aircraft duo will receive a ceremonial water salute on their arrival at Hong Kong International Airport on December 12, and a welcoming ceremony will be hosted on the following morning.

Representatives of local and overseas aviation industry, as well as members of youth groups and district organizations, will be invited on board for a closer look at the planes.

Apart from the static display at Hong Kong International Airport, the C919 is set to conduct a demonstration flight on December 16. It will take off at around 10.30 am and overfly Victoria Harbour from west to east. It will then fly around Hong Kong Island twice for the public to witness the airliner's first appearance over the city skies.

To facilitate the fly-past, there will be a temporarily restricted flying zone in and around Victoria Harbour during the day. Flying activities such as drones and model aircraft, kites, captive balloons, mass release of small balloons, etc, will be restricted. 

The two aircrafts will leave Hong Kong for Shanghai in the afternoon of December 17.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the visit fully signified the importance and recognition the country places on Hong Kong’s aviation industry development and its role as an international aviation hub.

C919 and ARJ21 are the first two jet aircrafts developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. 

C919 is a large passenger aircraft designed, manufactured and certificated in accordance with international airworthiness standards. It has a seating capacity of 158 to 192 passengers and a range of 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers. The first commercial C919 aircraft was delivered to China Eastern Airlines in December 2022 and it came into service this year.

The ARJ21 is the first turbofan regional aircraft independently designed and manufactured by China. It has a range of 2,225 to 3,700 kilometers and can accommodate 78 to 97 passengers. The aircraft came into commercial service in 2016 by Chengdu Airlines and was brought onto the international market last year following an official delivery to its overseas customers.