A C919 aircraft receives water salute at Lhasa Gonggar International Airport, Xizang autonomous region, on Thursday. [Photo provided to China Daily]

China's domestically developed single-aisle aircraft, the C919, landed at Lhasa, Xizang autonomous region for the first time on Thursday, as the model verifies its adaptability to ultra high-altitude airports and routes.The C919 jet, operated by its developer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, or COMAC, departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) on Thursday morning and arrived at Lhasa Gonggar International Airport (LXA) after about two hours of flight.

9月19日，中国商飞公司一架C919飞机从四川成都双流国际机场起飞，经过2小时8分钟飞行，平稳降落在西藏拉萨贡嘎国际机场。这是C919飞机首次飞抵拉萨。

Located in the Yarlung Zangbo River valley at an altitude of 3,569 meters, the Lhasa airport is surrounded by mountains. The meteorological environment is complex and poses a number of aeronautical challenges for aircraft and crew.

拉萨贡嘎国际机场位于雅鲁藏布江河谷，海拔高度3569米，周边山峰众多，气象环境复杂多变，对飞机高原运行性能有很高的要求。

As such, the C919 plane will carry out research and development test flights of key systems for high-altitude operations, including environmental-control system, avionics and power units, as the company prepares the plane to meet the operational needs of ultra high-altitude routes and the R&D of the plateau variant in the future, COMAC said.

飞抵拉萨后，C919飞机将开展环控、航电、动力装置等高高原运行关键系统的研发试飞，以及高高原机场适应性检查，为后续满足高高原航线运行需求和高原型研发奠定基础。

So far, the C919, comparable with the narrow-body Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 series, has netted more than 1,000 orders from home and abroad.

到目前为止，可与窄体客机空客A320和波音737系列相媲美的C919已经从国内外获得了1000多份订单。

Earlier this year, Tibet Airlines, a regional carrier based in Lhasa, signed a deal with COMAC for 40 C919 aircraft of the plateau variant which is designed to meet the complex transportation requirements of high-altitude regions by shortening the fuselage and featuring high-altitude modifications.

今年早些时候，记者从中国商飞获悉，在新加坡航展开幕当天，西藏航空与中国商飞签署40架C919高原型和10架ARJ21高原型飞机订单。河南航投与中国商飞签署6架ARJ21衍生机型订单，包含ARJ21灭火机、ARJ21医疗机和ARJ21应急救援指挥机。

"China has the world's largest demand for high-altitude aircraft operations," said Lin Zhijie, a civil aviation industry analyst. "The plateau variant of the C919 is of great significance for meeting the travel demand of passengers in high-altitude regions of China."

民航业分析师林志杰表示，中国对高空飞机的需求是全球最大的。C919的高原改型对于满足中国高海拔地区乘客的出行需求具有重要意义。”

Meanwhile, China's first home developed regional passenger jet, the ARJ21, is close to finishing its month-long ultra high-altitude demonstration flights around the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau that will fully assess the adaptability of the model for ultra high-altitude airports and routes. The C919 and the ARJ21 gathered in Lhasa on Thursday.

同时，中国首架自主研发的支线客机ARJ21将以四川成都、青海西宁和西藏拉萨为运行基地，飞抵西藏、四川、青海和甘肃的多座高高原机场，充分验证ARJ21飞机对高高原机场和高高原航线的适应性、机场地面服务设备的适配性和特殊飞行程序的适用性，更好、更全面地满足高海拔地区运营要求。C919飞机与正在进行演示飞行的国产支线客机ARJ21相聚在青藏高原。

Since Aug 21, the ARJ21 aircraft started its demonstration flights around the plateau, using Chengdu, Sichuan province; Xining, Qinghai province; and Lhasa as operational bases. So far, the ARJ21 plane has completed flight tests on 25 routes for a combined total of 62 flight hours, covering 11 ultra high-altitude airports in China.

自今年8月21日开始，ARJ21飞机以四川成都、青海西宁和西藏拉萨为运行基地，开展“环青藏高原”演示飞行。截至目前，已完成25条航线，55个航段，62小时的飞行任务，覆盖11座高高原机场。

In particular, the jet has flown to the world's highest civil airport four times, and fully verified its adaptability to ultra high-altitude operations. Located 4,411 meters above sea level, Daocheng Yading Airport (DCY) in Sichuan province is not only the highest civil airport in China, but also the world.

并4次执飞世界海拔最高民用机场——稻城亚丁机场，充分验证了ARJ21飞机高高原运行的适应性。

Airports located at an altitude of 2,438 meters or above are regarded as ultra high-altitude airports, and China has 25 such airports, accounting for more than half of such airports globally with a runway length of over 2,000 meters each, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

根据中国民航局规定，海拔高度在2438米及以上的机场为高高原机场。目前，中国共有25座高高原机场，占全球高高原机场(跑道长度2000米以上)总数量的50%以上。

High-altitude regions face conditions such as sparse oxygen supply, complex terrain and ever-changing weather conditions. The requirements for aircraft performance, crew qualifications and operational support capabilities are extremely high, the CAAC said.

高海拔地区面临着氧气供应稀少、地形复杂和天气条件不断变化等条件。民航局表示，对飞机性能、机组人员资格和作战保障能力的要求非常高。

Source: chinadaily

Editor:ChenDawei

Senior Editor:MinJie