China Eastern Airlines has successfully removed and replaced the engine of the very first of China's self-developed narrow-body jet, the C919, proving its maintenance and support capability for the domestically made aircraft, according to the Shanghai-based carrier.

It takes China Eastern's maintenance engineers a total of nine days to complete the 60 routine tasks and more than ten non-routine tasks of engine replacement for the first C919 aircraft coded B-919A, the first global customer of C919 aircraft said on Nov 1.

Engine replacement is regarded as one of the most challenging tasks in aircraft maintenance. The engine removal and installation of the C919 will verify the feasibility of the replacement procedure, and at the same time improve the aircraft safety. China Eastern carried out thorough research and formulated detailed plans to ensure the safe and smooth procedure of the replacement.

Being the first company capable of replacing and maintaining the engine of C919 jets, China Eastern will work together with C919's manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) to further improve the procedure and efficiency of engine replacement, as part of its efforts to increase the competitiveness of the homegrown jetliner.