(Yicai) Aug. 23 -- Air China and China Southern Airlines will receive their first C919 aircraft this month, as deliveries of the China-made large passenger plane accelerate.

China Southern will get its first C919 in Shanghai on Aug. 28, the Guangzhou-based carrier announced yesterday. On the same day, Yicai learned from Air China that the country’s flag carrier will also receive its first C919 on Aug. 28. But neither of the airlines disclosed the date of their C919 jets’ first flight.

Air China and China Southern have already completed C919-tailored pilot and flight attendant training, the pair announced on their respective social media accounts. The first also noted its economy-class seat arrangement for the C919 will be the widest among China’s three largest airlines. The latter said it had developed exclusive Guangdong-style catering products for C919 passengers.

China’s Big Three state-owned airlines are Air China, China Southern, and China Eastern Airlines, which was the first carrier to receive a C919 plane in December 2022.

Also Suparna Airlines, a Chinese airline owned by private aviation firm HNA Aviation Group, is expected to receive its first C919 this year. It has already completed the training of ground maintenance personnel for the jet, while that of pilots and flight attendants will begin at the end of this month.

Developed by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China with independent intellectual property rights, the C919 is a large passenger plane with 158 to 168 seats and a range of 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers. China Eastern has seven C919 aircraft operating daily commercial flights.

Since last September, the Big Three have signed contracts with COMAC to buy 100 C919 aircraft each. HNA Aviation inked a deal to buy 60 C919, which will be shared equally between Suparna and its other carrier Urumqi Air. Suparna will become the first airline in the world to operate a fleet of only C919 aircraft, according to HNA Aviation.

Tibet Airlines, which mainly operates in the Tibetan Plateau, has signed orders with COMAC for 40 C919s specifically designed for flying at high altitude environment.

In addition to domestic airlines, COMAC also received an order for five C919 from Brunei Qiji Airlines last September.

COMAC plans to increase its annual production capacity of C919 aircraft to 150 in the next five years, Deputy General Manager Zhang Yujin said last year.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione