The inaugural flight using China's homegrown C919 aircraft touched down at the Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport at 9:19 a.m. -- less than two hours after taking off from the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport -- on Sunday, signifying the C919's start of passenger service on the Shanghai-Xiamen air route.
Flight MU5247, carrying 148 passengers, slowly taxied through a water salute after landing, a prestigious aviation tradition, marking the C919's maiden flight to Xiamen.
Starting from Sunday, the C919 will be in regular service on the Shanghai-Xiamen express route, with one daily round-trip flight.
The outbound flight, MU5247, departs from Shanghai Hongqiao at 7:50 a.m. and arrives in Xiamen at 9:55 a.m.
The return flight, MU5248, takes off from Xiamen at 10:55 a.m. and lands in Shanghai Hongqiao at 12:55 p.m.
This new service fully meets the needs of business travelers for same-day round trips and significantly improves travel efficiency between the two cities.
China's C919 aircraft starts passenger service on Shanghai-Xiamen air route
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Saturday that nuclear power plant sites or nearby areas must never be attacked, following a fourth strike near an Iranian nuclear power plant.
The IAEA said on social platform X that, according to the information from Iran, a projectile hit the nearby area of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on Saturday morning. This was the fourth such incident in recent weeks, it said.
One staff member at the site was killed by a projectile fragment, while a building on the site was affected by shockwaves and fragments, the IAEA said, citing the Iranian authorities. There was no increase in radiation levels reported, it added.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi expressed his deep concern about the incident, stressing that nuclear power plant sites or nearby areas "must never be attacked." He warned that the auxiliary site buildings may contain vital safety equipment.
Grossi once again stressed the paramount importance of ensuring nuclear safety and security during a conflict, calling for maximum military restraint to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident.
Iran's nuclear facilities have been struck several times since the joint Israeli-U.S. military actions against the Islamic Republic started on Feb. 28.
Nuclear power plants must never be attacked: IAEA chief
