A C909 aircraft completed its first commercial flight in Laos on Saturday, marking another step in China's efforts to introduce more domestically developed planes into the markets of Belt and Road partner countries.
The aircraft, which was delivered to the Lao Airlines on March 30, took off from Vientiane's Wattay International Airport and landed at the Pakse International Airport at 11:17 local time.
"The flight marks the official entry of Chinese jetliners into the Lao aviation market, an important step towards the internationalization of our commercial aircraft. Following the aircraft's first commercial flight, COMAC will make every effort to provide satisfactory customer services and operational supports as well as serve the construction of Belt and Road countries," said Yue Yunfeng, deputy general manager of the marketing center of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd., the developer of C909.
With a range of 2,225 to 3,700 km, the aircraft is suitable for most domestic routes in Laos as well as regional international flights.
So far, a total of 162 units of C909 aircraft have been delivered to more than ten domestic and international customers, with the jetliners cumulatively operating on 688 routes and serving 159 cities globally.
China's homegrown jetliner completes first commercial flight in Laos
More than a month ahead of the Chinese New Year, restaurants across China have reported a booming demand for reunion dinners, with popular places already fully reserved.
The family reunion dinners on the eve of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important meal of the year for Chinese people. It has long been an essential part of celebrating the Chinese New Year. This year, the festival falls on Feb 17.
In Taiyuan, capital city of north China's Shanxi Province, one restaurant said all tables for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner have been reserved.
"We now have 36 private rooms and 13 tables in the hall. The New Year's Eve dinner is fully booked. Many families started reserving as early as November 2025," said Han Huiyan, a restaurant manager.
To meet the demand, many restaurants start to offer takeaway banquet package that can be easily prepared at home, allowing families to enjoy a variety of festive dishes without dining out.
In Ningbo, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province, many popular restaurants said that they are approaching full reservation levels. To reduce peak demand, some restaurants now offer off-peak reunion dinners starting later at night.
"We now offer a 'second round' of New Year's Eve dinners, which start at 19:30. We also offer discount for such New Year's Eve dinners, a promotion of 20 percent off set menus," said Sun Lijuan, a restaurant manager.
In Lianyungang, a city in east China's Jiangsu Province, smaller private rooms of a local restaurant have been nearly sold out, and customized menus and home-delivery services have drawn strong interest.
"This year we have specially launched the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner delivery service. Bookings are very strong and customers really like this option," said Geng Maoran, a restaurant general manager.
Restaurants see surge in bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners
