The nation's first homegrown passenger aircraft made its return to Hong Kong on Saturday to fly more than 100 university students for a visit to Shanghai.

The C919 made its debut in the SAR in December, delighting spectators with a spectacular flypast over Victoria Harbour. This time it's serving a charter flight for participants in a youth internship programme.

Speaking at a ceremony at the airport, Chief Secretary Eric Chan welcomed the aircraft's return.

"The C919 returns to Hong Kong today, taking young people in Hong Kong to Shanghai to experience life at a mainland airport," he said.

"At the same time, they will experience national affairs and development at first hand.I believe this experience will be unforgettable for all the students and will be useful for their lives."

Students onboard the flight told RTHK that they were excited to learn more about the aviation industry on the mainland.

"I'm very honoured to have this opportunity to take the first C919 flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai. Through this opportunity, I can learn more about the homegrown aircraft industry on the mainland," said one student.

She said she hoped the seats would be comfy and wondered whether meals would be served.

"This is my first time to take the domestically-made plane. I'm interested to know whether the facilities on the plane will be different than those from other countries," said another student.

Meanwhile, Andrew Yao who chairs the Federation of Hong Kong-Shanghai Associations, said he hopes students can learn more about the development of the Belt and Road initiative through the internship programme.