COMAC's C909 reaches new heights

Commercial Aircraft Corp of China's domestically developed C909 regional jet has carried more than 37 million passengers over a decade of commercial service, the planemaker said, underscoring the country's efforts to build a home-grown civil aviation industry as it expands the aircraft's presence in China's regional markets and overseas.

Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of commercial operations of the C909, formerly known as the ARJ21. Since its entry into service in June 2016, COMAC has delivered 186 aircraft to more than 10 customers, accounting for about 70 percent of China's regional jet fleet, according to the company.

The fleet has operated more than 860 routes serving over 180 cities, with the aircraft now flying more than 500 flights a day on average, COMAC said.

Earlier this month, a Chengdu Airlines C909 aircraft completed the inaugural flight on a new route linking Urumqi, Hejing and Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, becoming the second high-altitude route operated by the regional jet after the Kashgar-Tashikurgan service launched earlier.

The flight landed at Bayanbulak Airport in Hejing county of the Mongolian autonomous prefecture of Bayingolin at an elevation of more than 2,500 meters.

The latest deployment marks another operational test for the C909 in an environment characterized by lower air pressure, strong air currents and rapidly changing weather conditions, factors that place greater demands on aircraft performance and flight operations.

"The opening of this route further verifies the adaptability and reliability of the C909 under complex operating conditions," said Huang Liying, chief accountant of Chengdu Airlines.

The route will operate three times a week and is expected to improve access to the Bayanbulak grasslands, one of Xinjiang's best-known tourism destinations. Flight time from Urumqi to Bayanbulak is about one hour, a huge reduction on the approximately seven hours it takes by road.

"For local residents and tourists alike, the route significantly improves accessibility," Huang said, adding that it would help integrate regional tourism resources with transportation infrastructure.

The service comes as COMAC pushes to expand the operational footprint of its domestically developed aircraft beyond major trunk routes and into remote regions where aircraft must contend with difficult terrain and weather conditions.

Analysts say Xinjiang has become an important proving ground for the C909 because many routes across the vast region have relatively low passenger volumes and long travel distances, making smaller regional aircraft more economical than larger narrowbody jets.

Independent aviation analyst Li Hanming said regional jets such as the C909 are particularly suited to sparsely populated areas where traffic demand may not justify larger aircraft year-round.

Research led by COMAC senior economist Guo Caisen found that the C909 generated a contribution margin of 6,000 yuan ($883) to 10,000 yuan higher per flight hour than a Boeing 737 on low-density routes, highlighting one of its economic advantages in western China's regional aviation market.

COMAC said the C909 has become the backbone of China's regional aviation market after a decade of commercial operations. In Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions and Heilongjiang province, about 70 C909 aircraft now operate more than 460 routes, having carried more than 10 million passengers across roughly 200,000 flights.

The manufacturer has also expanded the aircraft overseas. It said the C909 now operates 25 international routes serving 28 cities in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam, and has carried more than 1 million passengers outside China.

The overseas operations have helped validate the aircraft's performance on short runways and in Southeast Asia's hot and humid climate while broadening COMAC's customer support network as it seeks additional export opportunities, the company said.

Chengdu Airlines, the launch operator, received the first C909 in June 2016 and has since expanded operations from domestic regional services to international and high-altitude routes.