A C909 jetliner (front) of the China Southern Airlines lands at Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China, April 15, 2025. Saturday marks the ninth anniversary of the commercial operation of China's domestically developed regional jetliner C909. So far, 166 C909 aircraft have been delivered, which have handled over 24 million passenger trips. (Photo: Xinhua)

China's homegrown C909 aircraft has safely transportedmore than 30 million passengers, with a total of 175 aircraft delivered to date, accounting for 60 percent of China's regional jet market, and it is also operating in 12 countries overseas, reported thePeople's Daily on Monday, citing data from the  Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.

The 15th Five-Year Plan Recommendations call for accelerating the development of strategic emerging industrial clusters such as new energy, new materials, aerospace and low-altitude economy.The C909 aircraft is a new-generation medium- and short-range twin-engine turbofan regional jet developed independently by China in accordance with international airworthiness standards. Boasting a seating capacity of 78-97 seats and a range of 2,225-3,700 kilometers, the aircraft made its maiden flight on June 28, 2016.

In recent years, the C909 has continued to expand its route network while accelerating its scaled and serialized development. Currently, it has derived variants such as freighter aircraft, emergency rescue command aircraft, medical aircraft and business jets. It has cumulatively operated over 700 routes, transporting tens of thousands of passengers daily and connecting hundreds of cities, achieving a breakthrough in the commercial operation of domestically produced jet aircraft.

At present, the C909 has been deployed on international routes, further enhancing people-to-people exchanges and connectivity between Chinese cities and foreign cities. It is also accelerating its expansion into overseas markets. Nearly 20 routes have been launched by three overseas airlines—Indonesia's TransNusa, Lao Airlines and Vietnam's VietJet Air—in Southeast Asia, connecting over 20 cities.

The C909's achievement of safely carrying over 30 million passengers stands as a testament to the healthy and steady development of China's commercial aircraft industry. Through 23 years of exploration, the C909 has overcome challenges in jet aircraft design, manufacturing, operation and maintenance, safety technologies meeting the latest international airworthiness standards, and operational technologies ensuring high adaptability and reliability in extreme environments. 

With the development of the C909, China has, for the first time, completed the entire process of jet airliner design, manufacturing, testing, flight testing, batch production, delivery and operation. It fills the gap in China's independent development of jet transport aircraft and further solidifies the foundation for the development of the large aircraft industry.
The development of the C909 has charted a path for the full life-cycle development of China's large aircraft industry, established a technological system and cultivated a technical workforce. Through continuous improvements and optimizations, the C909 has steadily enhanced its performance, crew operational experience, and cabin comfort, earning increasing recognition, the report said. 

Global Times