The fleet has grown to 10 aircraft, with more than 10,700 flights completed, 1.455 million passengers carried, and a route network connecting Guangzhou to 22 cities

As reported by CCTV+, on Friday, a China Southern Airlines C919 aircraft departed from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, completing the first scheduled deep maintenance of its first domestically produced passenger aircraft. This achievement marks a new milestone in the C919’s full-lifecycle maintenance and support system.

Aircraft checks are routine tasks in civil aviation designed to ensure flight safety. They are classified into different levels based on depth, duration and scope. A C-check is a high-level, comprehensive overhaul.

This was the first C-check for China Southern Airlines’ C919 since it entered service. For more than 20 consecutive days, maintenance staff strictly followed airworthiness standards, conducting step-by-step inspections, disassembly and performance tests on the airframe, power systems, flight control systems and avionics. The work covered a total of 28 technical modification directives.

The inspection results showed that all aircraft parameters met the required standards. The aircraft has returned to service in optimal condition.

Since its maiden flight in September 2024, China Southern Airlines’ C919 fleet has grown to 10 aircraft. They have completed more than 10,700 flights and carried a total of 1.455 million passengers.

The fleet currently serves regular commercial routes between Guangzhou and Nanjing, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Hefei, Wuhan, Beijing Daxing Airport, Xi’an and other destinations, connecting Guangzhou to 22 cities.

The C919 has passed its first major test. Twenty days of inspections, 28 modifications — and the aircraft is back in the sky. China’s airliner has proven that it can not only be produced but also maintained to high standards. The fleet is growing. More routes are opening. Passengers are choosing the C919. This is not just an aircraft. It is a symbol. China’s aviation industry has broken its dependence on imports — it now services its own machines. The question is not how many more C919s will take to the skies. Many will. The question is when foreign airlines will start buying these aircraft for their own routes. While some are still just looking, others are already flying. And maintaining. And carrying millions. China is not just building aircraft. It is building an entire ecosystem. From production to maintenance. And it is working.