Photo: Courtesy of Air China

On Tuesday at 09:35 Beijing time, Air China flight CA757, operated by the C909 aircraft, arrived at Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia after departing from Hohhot Baita International Airport, the first international commercial flight for Air China's C909 plane.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of Air China's introduction of the domestically produced C909 aircraft. Over the past five years, the airline has promoted the scaled operation of Chinese-made civil aircraft. 

To date, Air China's C909 fleet has expanded to 35 planes, accumulating over 110,000 safe flight hours and handling more than 4.13 million passenger trips. 

Photo: Courtesy of Air China

Based at its three major operational hubs in Beijing, Chengdu, and Hohhot, the C909 fleet has operated over 30 routes with a daily scheduled flight volume exceeding 100. 

As of now, Air China has launched 68 Belt and Road (BRI) routes covering major regions in Asia, Africa, and Europe, connecting 29 countries. During the 2025 summer-autumn season, the airline will open up additional Belt and Road-related routes, including Beijing-Cairo, Beijing-Tashkent, Urumqi-Tashkent, and Beijing-Almaty air ways.

China's commercial jetliner C909, formerly known as ARJ21, celebrated the 9th anniversary of its maiden flight on June 28.

With a layout of 78 to 97 seats, and a range of 2,225 to 3,700 km, the C909 is the first short-medium range turbofan regional aircraft independently developed by China in accordance with international civil aviation regulations.

A total of 166 C909 aircraft have been delivered to the aviation market, which have operated on more than 700 routes and transported over 24 million passengers, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday. 

The C909 aircraft gradually expands into ASEAN market. On April 18, 2023, the C909 completed its maiden flight in Indonesia, marking the launch of regional routes between the islands and expanding to cross-border trunk routes. Notably, the Manado-Guangzhou route, covering over 2,700 km, is currently the longest commercial route operated by the C909 aircraft.

In March of this year, Lao Airlines officially welcomed the C909 jet into Lao aviation, marking a new chapter in the national carrier's commitment to enhancing passenger experience and regional air connectivity. 

To date, three Southeast Asian airlines -- TransNusa of Indonesia, Lao Airlines and Vietjet Air -- operate a total of seven C909 aircraft. They have launched 15 routes connecting 18 cities and have transported over 370,000 passengers, according to the Xinhua.


Global Times