Spring Airlines' first A321neo aircraft.

Spring Airlines' first A321neo, the next generation narrow-body passenger jet from Airbus, has finished its maiden flight and is ready to serve domestic travelers during the approaching holidays.

The aircraft took off from the HongqiaoInternational Airport and landed at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on Sunday with over 200 passengers onboard.

It will continue operating on one of the nation's most popular business routes during the 8-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which starts on Thursday.

Some 120,000 daily travelers are expected at the Hongqiao airport during the holiday, roughly the same amount as 2019. This is also the largest expected volume since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic early this year.

Spring Airlines, China’s largest private-owned carrier based in Shanghai, took delivery of its first A321neo aircraft in Tianjin, north China, early this month. The aircraft, which was final-assembled in Hamburg, Germany, and ferried to Tianjin in early September, became the first A321 delivered from the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Centre.

The Spring Airlines A321neo features a 240-seat all-economy class cabin layout and is powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines. By the end of August, Spring Airlines was flying an all Airbus fleet of 96 A320 Family aircraft.

Meanwhile, Airbus has launched a safety initiative amid the pandemic to prevent the spread of the virus in its cabin with new technologies.

The aircraft manufacturer announced in Shanghai on Sunday that over 1,400 innovative health and safety plans have been collected by its incubator IdeaSpace to be further evaluated and promoted.

The A321neo is the largest member of the A320 family, featuring the widest single-aisle cabin, new generation engines and "Sharklet" wing tips.