China's first homemade regional jet ARJ21-700 sits outside a hangar of Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) in Shanghai on Sunday. Photo: Courtesy of COMAC

 

The first homemade regional jet ARJ21-700 made a delivery flight on Sunday from Shanghai to Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, where Chengdu Airlines will be the first carrier in China to fly the jet.

It is another breakthrough for the civil aviation industry after the C919, the first homemade large passenger jet, rolled off the assembly line on November 2.

Chengdu Airlines is expected to receive five ARJ21s by the end of 2016, with another 25 aircraft to be delivered within five or six years.

Zhuang Haogang, chairman of Chengdu Airlines, said on Saturday that the ARJ21 will be put into operation in three months, and the first routes will link Chengdu to cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Shenzhen, which have been mostly served by its A320 fleet for years.

"We are thinking to choose the big cities in terms of the politics and economics to improve the image of the aircraft at the initial stage. Those routes are mainly those with large passenger flows and big market potential but less sensitive to the mode of flying," Zhuang said.

"Later, we will fly to more regional places such as destinations at high altitudes and tourist spots to show the plane's good performance and achieve commercial operation," Zhuang said.

The ARJ21-700 is the first homegrown short- and middle-haul regional plane, which seats 78 to 90 people.

The project to make the plane was established in 2002, and it made its maiden flight in November 2008.

In April 2014, the plane finished a natural icing flight test in North America to ensure the airworthiness of the aircraft before delivery. This year, the producer, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, has conducted several demonstration flights in 15 airports in China to test the plane's flying ability and maintenance.

"Each step of the ARJ21 is in accordance with the standards, and these are global standards, so everybody should get rest assured," He Peiwen, vice general manager of Chengdu Airlines, said on Saturday.

Orders for the ARJ21 have reached more than 300 from China and abroad.

Tim Yan, chairman of Thailand-based City Airways, told the Global Times on Sunday that the company has ordered 10 ARJ21 jets, and the planes will be used mainly for routes in the Southeast Asian market with the flying times of about one hour.

However, the operators also have worries on how to win over customers, which could be a challenge.

"Our biggest concern is the reputation of the aircraft is still not established and passengers may be reluctant to take the plane," Ti Wei, deputy general manager of the flying department with Chengdu Airlines, said on Saturday.

The company said it will arrange two pilots to fly the planes at the first stage, and it has taken measures in terms of safety, maintenance and brand promotion to promote the market.