ARJ21 regional passenger jetliner showcases high-altitude performance

The ARJ21, China's first homebuilt regional passenger jetliner, is undertaking three-day demonstration flights in Southwest China, to showcase its performance in plateau areas and further explore market opportunities in the region.

Between Tuesday and Thursday, ARJ21 will fly several routes between eight airports, including Kunming, Lijiang and Dali airports in Yunnan province. During the period, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, its developer, also held a seminar with its customers to discuss the operations and potential of China's highland aviation regional market.

Triggered by growing demand, more domestic carriers are launching new flights connecting less-densely populated smaller cities to improve connectivity. Yunnan, with abundant tourism resources, has 15 civil airports in the province. It aims to achieve an annual passenger throughput of 150 million by 2030, according to the local government.