The domestically produced commercial aircraft C909 (formerly known as ARJ21) has been in commercial operation for a full decade. In the past ten years, from newborn to mature, from domestic to overseas, C909 aircraft has carried more than 37 million passengers. It has grown into the main model of China's regional air transport market and has flown out of Xintiandi of China's civil aviation industry.
New aircraft put into operation, route expansion, fruitful commercial operation in the past decade
In the past week, the C909 aircraft has reached multiple new development milestones.
On June 22nd, the first domestically produced C909 business jet CBJ flew from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Beijing Capital Airport and was officially put into commercial operation. The CBJ business jet is positioned as a large jet high-end customized business jet, with spacious cabin space that can flexibly achieve seat layouts ranging from 12 to 29 seats. It is divided into relatively independent functional areas such as rest areas, meeting areas, reception areas, and dining areas as needed, fully meeting personalized customization needs.
On June 23rd, the Chengdu Airlines C909 aircraft's "Swan" themed flight landed smoothly at the Hejing Bayinbuluke Airport at an altitude of 2506.85 meters, marking the official opening of the Urumqi Hejing Kashgar route. This is the second high-altitude route operated by the C909 aircraft after the Kashgar Tashkurgan route, and the adaptability of domestic commercial aircraft in complex operating environments has been further verified.
From the launch of new aircraft to route expansion, the C909 aircraft has achieved fruitful results in commercial operation over the past decade. As of now, the C909 aircraft has delivered 186 aircraft to more than ten customers, accounting for about 70% of the domestic regional fleet, carrying over 37 million passengers, opening more than 860 routes, and operating in more than 180 cities, with an average of over 500 flights per day.
Yang Yang, Deputy Director of the Marketing Committee of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), stated that the C909 aircraft has grown into the main model of China's regional air transportation market, gradually forming five typical operating modes of "border express line", "integration of trunk and branch lines", "peripheral international", "pioneer in going global", and "derivative development", effectively supplementing the number of regional aircraft and flights and fully unleashing the advantages of the civil aviation transportation route network.
Border branch lines and airplanes going out to sea, connecting passengers and promoting economic development
On June 28, 2016, after the first commercial maiden flight of the C909 aircraft, Chengdu Airlines became the only airline operating the C909 aircraft, with a fleet size of only one aircraft. However, the fleet size has steadily increased to 31 aircraft.
At present, the C909 aircraft has deployed a total of 70 aircraft and opened more than 460 routes in provinces such as Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Heilongjiang, carrying over 10 million passengers. The C909 aircraft effectively solves the long-standing problem of "building but not connecting, and connecting but not smooth" at airports in border areas. In the past, traveling from Turpan to Altay by train required transferring in Urumqi and a journey of about 12 hours. However, after the opening of the "Turpan Altay" route operated by the C909 aircraft, the flight time was only 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Zhu Tao, Senior Manager of the Marketing Committee of Xinjiang Airport Group, stated that the C909 aircraft has greatly improved the travel conditions for people in remote areas, making "being able to fly and sit" a reality. The economic driving effect has also begun to emerge. After the opening of the C909 aircraft in Xinjiang, the daily number of "branch to branch" flights in the region has reached 120, transporting 20000 passengers per day, effectively activating tourism demand.
At the same time, the C909 aircraft continues to expand its surrounding international routes. On April 18, 2023, the C909 aircraft successfully made its maiden flight in Indonesia, known as the "Thousand Islands Country", opening up branch routes between islands and expanding to cross-border trunk routes. Now, the C909 aircraft has opened up Southeast Asian markets such as Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam, flying to 28 overseas cities and carrying over one million passengers. Its ability to operate on short and narrow runways and adapt to humid and hot environments in Southeast Asia has been fully recognized.
Derivative aircraft models, weaving dense aviation networks, flying towards a wider world
Based on the basic model, the development and operation of C909 derivative models are also steadily advancing. Currently, the delivery of business jets, cargo planes, emergency rescue command planes, and medical planes has been completed, and the operating scenarios and business models are constantly expanding to meet different market and functional requirements.
The C909 aircraft has strong adaptability, with stable takeoff and landing operations at various airports and excellent operational efficiency. ”The captain of the first batch of C909 modified models, Chen Qingqiang, said. As a pioneer in the field of commercial aircraft in China, the C909 aircraft has achieved a breakthrough in the commercial operation of domestic jet aircraft from 0 to 1, exploring a development path for the entire lifecycle of domestic commercial aircraft.
Standing at a new starting point, the C909 aircraft will deepen its scale, series, and industrialization development, flying towards a broader horizon. COMAC stated that with the support of all parties, the C909 aircraft will continue to weave a dense route network. This domestically produced regional main aircraft model will strive to create greater value for the civil aviation industry and provide solid support for accelerating the construction of an aviation and transportation power. (Looking into the New Era)