At the opening ceremony of the 2024 China Aviation Industry Conference and the Nanchang Air Show, held on Saturday, November 2, 2024, an ARJ21 and a C919 aircraft, both from the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), took off in succession, performing formation flights, coordinated flights, coordinated turns, and low passes under a clear blue sky. Notably, last month, the manufacturer announced that it would rename the ARJ21 as C909, to strengthen the concept of a family of aircraft and enhance its appeal in international markets.
This was the first time that the ARJ21 and C919 conducted demonstration flights in formation, showcasing the strong flight performance of both aircraft, according to the Chinese manufacturer.
Subsequently, the ARJ21 landed while the C919 continued with solo demonstrations, including low passes and steep angle climbs. Both aircraft were also displayed in a static exhibit on the ground during the air show, as reported by our affiliate, AEROIN.
In the indoor exhibition area, COMAC presented 1:20 scale models of the C919 and C929 aircraft, a 1:20 scale model of the ARJ21 with Jiangxi Air livery, and 1:32 scale models of the executive version of the ARJ21, as well as models of the medical rescue aircraft, emergency command aircraft, firefighting aircraft, and cargo aircraft. Scale models of the shortened/high-altitude and extended versions of the C919 family were also on display.
To date, a total of 150 ARJ21 aircraft have been delivered, operating on over 600 routes in more than 150 cities and transporting over 17,000,000 passengers. A total of 11 C919 aircraft have been delivered, operating on 9 routes in 7 cities and carrying 700,000 passengers.
The COMAC C919 entered commercial service in May 2023 with China Eastern Airlines, following the program’s development phase, which began in 2011.
All of the more than 1,000 C919 units that COMAC reports as firm orders are from Chinese airlines. Last year, Brunei’s GallopAir signed a letter of intent for 30 aircraft, which, if finalized, would be the first firm foreign order for the C919.
The ARJ21, a model similar to the iconic MD-80 or DC-9, has managed to cross Chinese borders and has been in operation since 2015 with Transnusa of Indonesia, which owns two of the 30 ordered aircraft, while GallupAir of Brunei and Equatorial Congo Airlines have ordered 12 and 3 aircraft, respectively.
