China’s domestically developed C919 twin-engined passenger jet is poised to make its Middle East debut at the Dubai Airshow, which takes place from November 17 to November 20, 2021. Chinese planemaker COMAC (the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has already sent its C919 demonstrator aircraft to Dubai ahead of the show, being held at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).
The aircraft is attending the show, making its first appearance in the Middle East, as COMAC seeks to draw more attention on a global stage to its twinjet. While the aircraft has sold moderately well within China, it has yet to secure any orders from a major overseas airline in any numbers. However, as supply chain delays continue to plague the two large Western manufacturers (Airbus and Boeing), COMAC is looking to take advantage of this with the C919.
At the 2025 Dubai Airshow, COMAC joins over 1,500 exhibitors, with the event anticipated to draw more than 148,000 attendees. On Monday, November 10, the C919 jet landed at Al Maktoum International Airport after a refuelling stopover in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
China’s domestically developed C919 large passenger aircraft arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Monday to take part in the Dubai Airshow 2025 from November 17 to 21, marking its first appearance in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/lxFQT1k5f4
— People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) November 11, 2025
“Expanding into overseas markets is the next milestone for the C919,” said Qi Qi, a senior independent civil aviation industry analyst speaking with the People’s Daily Online. “Given both internal and external environments, the aircraft’s first international commercial flight is likely to take place in partner countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.”
“Airlines in Southeast Asia and the Middle East are regarded as having the highest potential to acquire the C919. This is why COMAC places great emphasis on the 2025 Dubai Airshow,” Qi added.
As of November 12, 2025, COMAC has delivered a total of 19 C919 aircraft to three airlines within China – China Eastern Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines. Between these carriers, the C919 operates on 15 routes and currently serves 10 cities within China. In May 2025, the model marked its second anniversary for commercial service, with the 19 in-service jets competing over two million passenger trips over the two years, according to COMAC.
China Eastern Airlines, as the world’s first airline to operate the C919, utilizes nine aircraft that have collectively performed 6,240 commercial flights on eight routes, carrying more than 850,000 passenger trips to date.
Air China operates four routes with its four in-service C919s, flying from Beijing to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, and Wuhan. China Southern Airlines has also opened four routes from Guangzhou to Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Haikou. The final carrier to operate the aircraft is China Southern, with six units on strength.
More about the C919
The C919 aircraft is the first commercial aircraft independently developed by China in accordance with international airworthiness standards and owning independent intellectual property rights. Designed from the ground up to rival Airbus’ A320 and Boeing’s B737 families, the C919 marks a significant step forward in terms of technology.
While perhaps not as innovative as contemporary designs, such as the Airbus A220, the C919 is significantly cheaper to purchase and incorporates the same generation engines (CFM LEAP) as its rivals, such as early Airbus A320s and B737-800 aircraft. The C919 has so far secured more than 1,000 orders from home and abroad. As the global air travel market maintains steady growth, the C919 is looking to meet growing travel demand while breaking the long-standing market duopoly of Boeing and Airbus.
The C919 has been in regular passenger service domestically within China since May 2023. However, on November 7, 2025, an Air China-operated C919 undertook the type’s maiden commercial service on the Beijing to Hong Kong route and was greeted with a water cannon salute upon touching down at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).
