China's domestically developed large passenger aircraft, the C919, launched a commercial service on the Shanghai-Lanzhou route on Monday, marking its first flight to a plateau airport.
At 11:08, Flight MU9179 landed at Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, located at an elevation of 1,948.7 meters.
The flight, operated by China Eastern Airlines from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, marks the official launch of a daily round-trip flight between the two cities.
The launch expands the C919's operational network to key hubs in China's northwest region while collecting valuable data to improve its performance continuously.
"TheThe C919 has demonstrated excellent engine performance and operational stability in high-altitude environments, proving that it is fully able to meet commercial operation standards required for high-altitude airports," said Zhang Shaobo, captain of the C919 jet.
The C919 is a narrow-body passenger aircraft with a maximum seating capacity of 192. It is China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, built in accordance with international airworthiness standards and featuring intellectual property rights registered independently.
China Eastern Airlines, based in Shanghai, currently operates 13 C919 jets on 15 routes that connect 13 Chinese cities.
Over the past two years, the C919 fleet of China Eastern Airlines has logged nearly 43,000 safe flight hours, operated more than 17,000 commercial flights, and handled more than 2.45 million passenger trips, with an average passenger load factor of over 85 percent.
China's homegrown C919 jet makes first flight to plateau airport
China's homegrown C919 jet makes first flight to plateau airport
Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about Iran seeking a ceasefire as "false and baseless," according to state-run Press TV.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei pushed back against Trump's remarks on social media platform Truth Social that the Iranian president "has just asked the United States of America for a ceasefire."
Trump added, "We will consider when the Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!"
Trump has repeatedly claimed in recent days that Iran is seeking negotiations to end the war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that messages have been exchanged between Iran and the United States through intermediaries over the past few days, but stressed that no negotiations have taken place.
On the same day, Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's President, released a letter addressed to the American people, saying the Iranian people harbor no enmity toward American people, accusing the U.S. administration of fighting Iran as a "proxy for Israel."
"The Iranian people harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighboring countries," Pezeshkian said, adding, "Even in the face of repeated foreign interventions and pressures throughout their proud history, Iranians have consistently drawn a clear distinction between governments and the peoples they govern."
In response to Trump's threats of conducting large-scale strikes on Iranian energy facilities, he said attacking the country's vital infrastructure directly targets the Iranian people, stressing that such actions constitute "war crimes" and involve consequences extending beyond Iran's borders.
Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities on Feb. 28, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes against Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, while tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz by restricting passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.
Wednesday's report by The Telegraph quoted Trump as saying he was strongly considering pulling the United States out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after the alliance failed to join the attacks on Iran.
Trump expressed dissatisfaction with NATO for "not being there," saying it was "actually hard to believe."
Responding to the U.S. president's remarks, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at a press conference at 10 Downing that Street Britain would act in its national interest and would not change its position on the Iran war.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that France is not taking part in the U.S.-Israel military action. The Elysee Palace also reaffirmed that France's position remains unchanged.
Iran rejects Trump's ceasefire claim as "false and baseless"
