Air China Receives Third ARJ21 Jetliner

Air China has received its third ARJ21 regional jetliner, China's indigenously-developed passenger aircraft, according to the plane's developer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).

With the latest delivery to China's flag carrier, COMAC has handed over a total of 40 ARJ21 airplanes to customers, COMAC said.

Since the arrival of its first ARJ21 on June 28, Air China has used the aircraft to operate air routes that link Beijing with Xilinhot, Baotou, Hohhot and Ulanhot in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Continuous deliveries and expanded operations mark the progress of ARJ21 in commercial service, which is a key test of a civil airplane model's market success.

The ARJ21 is China's first turbofan regional passenger jetliner. Designed with a capacity of 78 to 90 seats and a range of 3,700 km, it can fly in alpine and plateau regions and adapt to varying airport conditions.

As of November, ARJ21 planes have been used on 86 routes connecting 64 cities, and served more than 1.31 million passengers in commercial operations, according to COMAC.