China's home-developed C909 airplane hospital, the country's first specialized medical aircraft, arrived in the Lao capital, Vientiane, on Friday morning, officially launching the first overseas public welfare medical service activity under the vision of the Air Health Silk Road, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The airplane hospital will provide comprehensive medical services, including mobile diagnosis and treatment, surgical demonstrations, personnel training and material donations, and conduct screening and surgical treatment for eye, ear, nose and throat diseases among local residents. The public welfare medical service activity is scheduled to last until February 15, the report said.

Recently, the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission granted approval for the country's first specialized medical aircraft to begin pilot operations, a pioneering step in advancing the nation's aeromedical service capabilities, according to a Shanghai government website.

This marks the first practice license granted to an airborne hospital operated by a domestic medical institution.

Jointly developed by Fudan University's Eye & ENT Hospital and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, the C909 medical aircraft meets China's highest cleanliness standards for hospital operating rooms, providing a sterile environment required for ophthalmic and otolaryngological surgeries.

Looking ahead, the airplane hospital aims to bridge geographic barriers by delivering high-quality medical services directly to patients in remote areas. In 2026, it plans to extend its service radius to medically underserved regions in Belt and Road partner countries for charitable missions, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.