C909 Opens New High-Altitude Air Route in Xinjiang, Validating Domestic Aircraft’s Complex Environment Adaptability

XINJIANG, 8 July — According to domestic official media reports, a themed C909 aircraft operated by Chengdu Airlines has successfully completed its maiden flight and officially launched the Urumqi-Hejing-Kashgar air route. The aircraft safely landed at Hejing Bayanbulak Airport, which sits at an altitude of 2,506.85 metres above sea level.

The new route marks the second high-altitude air route served by the domestically developed C909 commercial jet, following the Kashgar-Taxkorgan route. The operational launch further verifies the reliable adaptability of China’s self-developed commercial aircraft under harsh and complex plateau aviation environments.

Hejing Bayanbulak Airport officially opened to air traffic in August 2024. The newly launched passenger route represents the first regular civil aviation service at the high-altitude airport. The airport previously received temporary business jet landings, and the introduction of fixed commercial flights realises comprehensive operational upgrading, completing a full development upgrade from basic infrastructure operation to stable and high-quality civil aviation service delivery at the plateau airport.

The opening of the route greatly shortens local travel time. Air journeys between Urumqi, Hejing and Kashgar are compressed to around one hour, substantially improving travel efficiency for passengers and strengthening regional air connectivity across southern and northern Xinjiang.

Classified as Xinjiang’s second high-altitude airport by civil aviation standards, which define high-altitude airports as those above 2,438 metres, Hejing Bayanbulak Airport fills a long-standing gap in regular civil aviation routes in the local region. The new air route forms a critical transportation pivot for unlocking local high-quality tourism resources.

The upgraded three-dimensional transportation system integrates air logistics and passenger travel services with local cultural and tourism industries, driving in-depth industrial integration and regional economic development. Improved aviation accessibility will continuously empower local industrial upgrading and livelihood development in plateau areas.

The stable commercial operation of the C909 aircraft on multiple high-altitude routes accumulates valuable operational experience for the large-scale deployment of domestic commercial jets in complex plateau terrain. Continuous route expansion and operational optimisation will further enrich Xinjiang’s regional aviation network, consolidate the foundation of border area transportation development, and release sustained development momentum for remote regional economic and social progress.