Chengdu Airlines' pilots to be first to fly ARJ21

Three pilots from Chengdu Airlines Co Ltd, the launch-client of the China-made ARJ21 regional airliner, are likely to be the first to gain licenses to fly the new planes commercially, the carrier said on Tuesday.

They have been taking tests for the licenses in Shanghai since the start of the month, and "could be given the licenses before we receive the first ARJ21 in late November", said an official from the airline, which ordered 30 ARJ21 aircraft in 2009.

Besides preparing its pilots, Chengdu Airlines is also hard at work readying the rest of its workforce for the new arrivals, the carrier said in a statement to China Daily.