China Eastern Airlines has launched a regular service between Nanchang in Jiangxi province and Macao. The route will be operated by China's domestically made regional C909 jet, the first time the model has been put into service on a regular route to Macao.

The inaugural flight, MU865, departed Nanchang Changbei International Airport on Wednesday and was welcomed with a traditional water salute at Macao International Airport.

Operating every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, Flight MU865 departs Nanchang at 10 am and lands in Macao at 11:45 am, while the return MU866 flight leaves Macao at 12:55 pm and arrives in Nanchang at 2:45 pm. The journey takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Tickets are available through China Eastern's official website, mobile app and other online platforms, where passengers can also select seats.

The new route strengthens connectivity between Jiangxi and Macao and supports the inland pilot free trade zone, contributing to integration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

China Eastern currently operates 28 C909 jets, which have conducted over 50,000 flights and dealt with more than 3.6 million passenger trips. At Nanchang, the carrier deploys the C909 on 21 flights daily to destinations including Macao, Shanghai, Tianjin, Wenzhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang province, Zhengzhou in Henan province, Ordos in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Nantong in Jiangsu province, as well as Dongying and Qingdao in Shandong province.

China Eastern has plans to steadily expand the C909 fleet, extend its route network, and increase investment in R&D, talent development and operational management to boost service quality and support China's civil aviation growth and homegrown aircraft industry.