Inside the cabin of a domestically developed C909 aircraft, Liang Lingyi, deputy director of the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, was looking into the microscope with his hands steadily maneuvering the surgical scalpel.

The patient, surnamed Zhang, is from a remote area in central Henan province. With the final suture of the ocular surface surgery completed by Liang, Zhang regained her clear vision.

The surgery, which took just a few minutes, was carried out aboard in the apron of Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport on Wednesday, marking the first of its kind in the world.

"I never imagined I could have a surgery on a plane close to home—no need to travel long distances. And the doctors are so skilled," Zhang said.

After the operation, Zhang repeatedly expressed her gratitude to the medical staff for helping her see the world clearly again.

The surgery marked the official operation of China's first fully self-developed and self-operated "flying eye hospital" for clinical services, according to a statement released by Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center on Wednesday.