Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) said on Sunday its domestically developed C909 regional jet has carried more than 37 million passengers during its first decade of commercial service, marking a milestone for China's efforts to build a competitive civil aircraft industry.
The C909, formerly known as the ARJ21, entered commercial service on June 28, 2016. Since then, COMAC has delivered 186 aircraft to more than 10 customers, with the fleet accounting for about 70 percent of China's regional aircraft in operation, according to the Shanghai-based planemaker.
The aircraft now operates more than 860 routes linking over 180 cities and averages more than 500 flights a day, COMAC said.
The milestone highlights the gradual expansion of China's first domestically developed regional passenger jet, which has become the country's main aircraft for thinner regional routes that are uneconomical for larger narrowbody jets.
Regional aviation has become an important part of China's strategy to improve air connectivity in western and border regions, where long travel distances and relatively low passenger volumes favor smaller aircraft.
