China's homegrown C919 aircraft lands in Xizang for first time

China's domestically developed single-aisle aircraft, the C919, completed a flight from southwest China's Sichuan Province to neighboring Xizang Autonomous Region on Thursday, marking the aircraft's first landing in Xizang.

The C919 jet, developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport Thursday morning and arrived at Lhasa Gonggar International Airport in Lhasa, capital of Xizang, after a two-hour-and-eight-minute flight.

The C919 will undergo research and development test flights to assess key systems for high-altitude operations, including environmental control, avionics, and power units that are critical for high-altitude operations.

"High plateau air routes require high safety altitudes and cover long distances. Prolonged flights over mountains require the aircraft to have excellent climbing and barrier clearance capabilities. Additionally, systems like environmental control, brakes, and engines must operate at a higher level of performance and reliability," said Yan Zikun, assistant chief engineer of the C919.

"Lhasa Gonggar International Airport, situated at an altitude of 3,569 meters and surrounded by mountains, has a complex meteorological environment. To ensure the successful test flight of the C919 in Xizang, we made thorough preparations and conducted multiple simulator training sessions," said Liu Gang, a test pilot for the C919.

The plane will also take adaptability checks for ultra-high-altitude airports to lay the foundation for meeting the operational needs of ultra-high-altitude routes and the Research and Development of high-altitude aircraft models in the future.

Meanwhile, China's first domestically developed regional passenger jet, the ARJ21, is undergoing a month-long series of ultra-high-altitude demonstration flights around the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau to verify the model's adaptability to high-altitude airports and routes. The C919 and ARJ21 both arrived in Lhasa on Thursday.

"To ensure the success of this demonstration flight, we’ve developed specific flight policies, tailored to different high-altitude airports, taking into account the flight procedures, airport equipment, and operational environments, which fully demonstrated the ARJ21's adaptability to conditions of High plateaus," said Yang Jian, an instructor for ARJ21 flights.

China's homegrown C919 aircraft lands in Xizang for first time

China's homegrown C919 aircraft lands in Xizang for first time

China's homegrown C919 aircraft lands in Xizang for first time

China's homegrown C919 aircraft lands in Xizang for first time

China's homegrown C919 aircraft lands in Xizang for first time

The intensifying Israeli attacks have forced more people to flee from Lebanon to Syria in search of safety shelters to escape Israeli bombardments by tortuously passing through the blocked roads and highways. The deteriorating situation in Lebanon has forced residents to seek refuge in the neighboring country and beyond.

"The situation in southern Lebanon is horrible. Many places have been severely destroyed and are no longer suitable for living. I am bringing my kids to flee from bombings," said Mohammad, a refugee from Lebanon, who is fleeing from his hometown to Syria, and then Iraq. A Friday Israeli airstrike targeting spots near the Lebanon-Syria border has further obstructed the journey, cutting multiple main roads toward the neighboring country, leaving large craters that refugees must navigate through on foot. Syria Arab Red Crescent, UNHCR, and other NGOs have been gathering around the border to offer support. "The road here was destroyed, and we can only walk through," said Mohammad. According to Syrian media, around 91,000 Lebanon refugees have fled to Syria, with around 3,000 Lebanese managed to cross the border on Monday despite the border airstrike.

While Israeli military claimed that the airstrikes hit Hezbollah targets near the border, the aftermath hindered not only the flow of refugees, but the delivery of humanitarian aid, blocking medical and emergency supplies outside.

Massive Lebanese refugees flee to Syria to escape Israeli bombardments