ARJ21 (passenger plane)

History

2024: Start of commercial operation

On October 29, 2024, China launched a key phase of commercial operation of its first passenger airliner - the ARJ21 medium-haul regional aircraft. The ship departed the Indonesian city of Manado (North Sulawesi Province) and landed in Guangzhou in the Chinese province of Guangdong, successfully completing its longest commercial voyage. The flight was organized by the Indonesian airline TransNusa.

The ARJ21 liner is manufactured by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC), part of the state corporation AVIC I. Development of the aircraft began in March 2002, and the first prototype was released on December 21, 2007. The vessel made its first test flight on November 28, 2008, taking off from Shanghai. The machine has a wingspan of 27.3 meters, and the maximum developed speed is 870 km/h. Two General Electric CF34-10A engines are installed. The aircraft has several modifications:

• ARJ21-700 - basic model designed for 70-95 passengers (the ER variant has an increased range from 2200 km to 3700 km);
• ARJ21-900 - version for 95-105 passengers (the ER variant has an increased range from 2200 km to 3300 km);
• ARJ21F - transport variant designed for commercial load up to 10,150 kg (compatible with PMC, PAG and AKE cargo containers);
• ARJ21B - business jet (standard configuration is designed for 20 passengers).

The first operator of the ARJ21 was Chengdu Airlines, which uses these airliners on several routes connecting Chinese cities. The flight, operated at the end of October 2024 by TransNusa, is a landmark flight: it is the first international flight to China carried out by a foreign carrier using Chinese aircraft.^[1]

Notes