C909 marks 10 years in service, holds 70% of China's regional fleet
Dhaka: China's Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC) marked the 10th anniversary of the C909 regional jet's commercial debut on June 28, underscoring the aircraft's expanding footprint in the country's domestic aviation market.
According to the Chinese planemaker, 186 units of the type have been delivered to more than 10 customers since entering commercial service on June 28, 2016. The manufacturer said the C909 fleet now makes up roughly 70% of China's regional aircraft market.
The aircraft has carried more than 37 million passengers across over 860 routes serving more than 180 cities, COMAC added, noting that it currently operates an average of over 500 flights daily, making it the leading aircraft type in China's regional aviation sector.
Around 70 C909s are presently deployed in China's Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Heilongjiang regions, where they have together flown more than 10 million passengers across over 200,000 flights.
Beyond the domestic market, the jet has steadily grown its international presence. COMAC said the aircraft now serves Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam, running 25 international routes connecting 28 cities and carrying more than one million passengers.
In China, the C909 is flown by Chengdu Airlines, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Jiangxi Air, Genghis Khan Airlines, China Express Airlines, Colorful Guizhou Airlines, and Urumqi Air, while overseas operators include Indonesia's TransNusa, Lao Airlines, and Vietnam's VietJet.
Originally developed as the ARJ21 before being rebranded as the C909 in late 2024, the aircraft is built to seat up to 90 passengers on short- and medium-haul regional routes. It complements COMAC's larger C919 narrowbody under the manufacturer's broader push to grow China's domestically produced commercial aircraft lineup.
COMAC is also developing additional C909 variants for specialized roles. The manufacturer said business jet, freighter, emergency command, and medical transport versions have already entered service, widening the aircraft's use beyond passenger transport.
