Shanghai, February 3, 2026: China has opened its first aircraft-based hospital, operated by the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai. Named as the “Five Senses Health Aircraft Hospital,” it is a modified passenger jet designed to provide eye, ear, nose, and throat care to patients in underserved and remote regions of the country.
The pilot license was officially granted by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission. The aircraft is modified from a C909, a domestically developed short-to-medium-range turbofan aircraft. This initiative is primarily aimed at bringing healthcare to remote areas of the country.
To ensure the safety and quality of the aircraft, the hospital has developed a comprehensive safety control system tailored to its specialized services and the unique aircraft environment. The team designed and implemented a Class I clean surgery cabin solution on the aircraft, meeting the highest laminar-flow purification standards. The team developed this aircraft in collaboration with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, the country’s leading passenger aircraft manufacturer.
During its first test flight on September 5, 2025, the aircraft flew to Shihezi, a farming and herding hub in northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Over the following two days, the team diagnosed patients and provided non-surgical treatments. These procedures range from treatment of elderly women with retinal changes caused by severe myopia to vision correction for young adults. The team also trained 16 local doctors.
Since its inaugural flight, the C909 airplane hospital has evolved from providing basic diagnostics to offering surgical capabilities.
Patients from remote areas, including Ili in northwest China and Guizhou in southwest China, have also received care, according to the hospital. In 2026, the hospital plans to extend its service radius to medically underserved regions in Belt and Road partner countries for charitable missions.
“We look forward to flying to more places in need, helping safeguard public health in facial features, and benefiting more patients along the airborne health Silk Road,” said Professor Zhou Xingtao, President of the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University.
(Rh/VK)