China Eastern Airlines announced on Friday the launch of a new C919 flight linking Shanghai and Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, starting Nov 15, which will bring the carrier's destinations operated by China's first self-developed narrow-body jet C919 to 18.

The debut of the new Shanghai-Zhengzhou flight is among a series of network optimizations made by the Shanghai-based carrier during the winter-spring season. In the new operation season, its fleet of 17 C919 aircraft will conduct about 490 flights per week.

With the launch of the new flight, China Eastern's C919 fleet will connect 16 cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu of Sichuan province, Xi'an in Shaanxi province, Guangdong province's Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, Taiyuan of Shanxi province, Wuhan in Hubei province, Shenyang in Liaoning province, Xiamen in Fujian province, Lanzhou in Gansu province, and Hong Kong SAR.

The extension of the C919 network is set to better facilitate air travelers' requirements for special experience to fly with the homegrown jetliner.