(China, 19th) China’s domestically-produced large aircraft C919 will make its first ever international passenger flight, officially being deployed on the Beijing to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia route.
According to reports from China Central Television (CCTV) and IT Home, as the first regular, scheduled international passenger route for the C919, this route will be operated by Air China, with one round-trip flight scheduled daily starting from August 12.
According to the flight schedule, outbound flight CA723 will depart from Beijing Capital International Airport at 3:00 p.m. Malaysia time, arriving at Ulaanbaatar Chinggis Khaan International Airport at 5:15 p.m.; returning flight CA724 will depart from Ulaanbaatar at 6:30 p.m. and arrive back in Beijing at 8:35 p.m.
The Beijing to Ulaanbaatar route has a long history, dating back as early as 1958. Currently, this route is jointly operated by Air China and Mongolian Civil Aviation. Before the C919 was put into operation on this route, Air China had already used the domestically-produced regional jet C909 to fly the Hohhot to Ulaanbaatar international route in July 2025.
The launch of the Ulaanbaatar route marks a step for the C919’s commercial network to expand from China’s domestic and regional routes into the international market.
Prior to this, the C919 had already accumulated operational experience on regional routes. On New Year’s Day 2025, China Eastern Airlines took the lead in deploying the C919 on regular flights between Shanghai Hongqiao and Hong Kong; in November of the same year, Air China also began regular operation of the C919 on the Beijing to Hong Kong route.
Since receiving its first C919 in August 2024, Air China has now taken delivery of 12 C919 aircraft, accomplishing a leap from single-aircraft verification to a 10-aircraft fleet in just a year and a half. The network now covers more than ten cities in China, including Beijing to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xi’an, and others.
The C919 is China’s first domestically-developed medium- to short-haul trunk jet that meets internationally recognized airworthiness standards, achieving its inaugural commercial passenger flight in May 2023. As of the end of April 2026, the C919 has operated over 42,000 commercial passenger flights.