The inaugural flights of the domestically-produced C919 aircraft between Shanghai and Hong Kong have opened a "new chapter" for the SAR as an international aviation hub, transport and logistics chief Mable Chan said on Wednesday. The first flight that took off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport arrived in the SAR shortly before 11am. Speaking at a welcoming ceremony at the Hong Kong International Airport, Chan said she feels honoured to witness the historic moment on New Year's Day. "Hong Kong is the first city beyond the other mainland cities to have this kind of commercial flight. So we are especially happy to see this flight materialise on the first day of 2025," she said. "We hope that through this commercial flight, we can bring this historical innovation breakthrough in the mainland's production of civil aviation aircraft to our Hong Kong citizens, as well as to the international visitors coming to Hong Kong." Chan added that the SAR has what it takes to shine as an aviation engineering hub. "Hong Kong International Airport has rich experience and comprehensive facilities to fully support the maintenance of domestically produced aircraft in Hong Kong and overseas," she said. "Secondly, the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy is an important aviation talent training base in the Asia region. The academy is planning to expand training to cover C919 aircraft, which will help domestically-produced planes enter overseas markets." The transport chief also said the government is looking to further develop the aircraft leasing market by rolling out various tax incentives, to help homegrown aircraft go global.
