COMAC C919 begins first international commercial service

Air China has commenced the first scheduled international commercial service for the COMAC C919 narrow-body jet. On 12 August 2026, flight CA723 traveled from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, carrying 121 passengers.

The route is now operated daily as CA723 and CA724. This milestone was made possible by a bilateral airworthiness arrangement between China and Mongolia, allowing the aircraft to operate without certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) or the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

While the C919 has carried over 7.5 million passengers on domestic and regional routes since entering service in May 2023, its international expansion remains limited by the lack of Western certification. EASA has indicated that the certification process may continue until the period between 2028 and 2031.