C909 (ARJ21) [中国商飞C909]

Description

The ARJ21 [翔凤] is a twin-engine, short-to-medium range regional jet developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China [中国商用飞机有限责任公司], also known as COMAC [中国商用飞机]. It serves as China’s first domestically produced jetliner to reach full-scale commercial operations, filling a specific requirement for aircraft capable of navigating the high-altitude and high-temperature environments of China's western provinces. The airframe utilizes a rear-mounted engine layout and a T-tail design, reflecting historical industrial links to the McDonnell Douglas MD-80/90 series previously assembled under licence in China. Sales are primarily concentrated among Chinese state-controlled carriers, with major fleets operated by Air China [中国国际航空], China Eastern Airlines [中国东方航空], and China Southern Airlines [中国南方航空]. The aircraft is also sold to domestic regional subsidiaries and leasing firms. The first international export was secured by TransNusa [TransNusa Aviation Mandiri] in Indonesia, marking the type's entry into the Southeast Asian market. The programme is positioned as a foundational step for the Chinese aerospace industry, establishing the production infrastructure later utilized for the larger C919 [中国商飞C919] project. Prospective buyers must consider the aircraft's heavy dependence on critical systems sourced from Western suppliers, including GE Aerospace propulsion and Collins Aerospace avionics, which remain vulnerable to changing export regulations. While the type is fully certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China [中国民用航空局], the absence of equivalent certification from major Western regulators restricts its operation in North American and European markets. The desk would focus on verifying the long-term maintenance costs and the availability of global spare parts hubs outside of the domestic Chinese network.