(Yicai) April 26 -- Suparna Airlines said the HNA Aviation Group-owned carrier will replace its Boeing fleet with C919 planes, the first large passenger jets developed independently by China, over the next three to four years.

Suparna, which has 17 Boeings, will receive its first C919 in the fourth quarter of this year, becoming the first private airline to operate the plane, the Shanghai-based firm said yesterday. It plans to have 30 C919s by the end of 2027.

State-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China developed the C919, a narrow-body aircraft, as a rival to the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320. China Eastern Airlines took delivery of the very first in December 2022 and its first commercial flight was in May last year.

Last year, HNA Aviation inked a deal to buy 60 C919s and 40 ARJ21 regional jets from Comac. The C919s will be shared equally between Suparna and Urumqi Air, also owned by HNA Aviation. 

China's flag carrier Air China and China Southern Airlines will also receive their first C919s this year. China Eastern plans to increase its C919 fleet to 10 from four by year-end.

Editor: Martin Kadiev