ARJ21 Photo: Courtesy of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China

The ARJ21 aircraft developed by Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) was delivered to Indonesian carrier TransNusa, COMAC told the Global Times on Sunday, marking the company's first delivery of the ARJ21 jet to an overseas client. 

The newly delivered ARJ21 jet has 95 economy-class seats and fully customized inner and outer configurations. The flight range of the ARJ21 is from 2,225 to 3,700 kilometers, and it has a good duration in hot and windy weather.

Being the largest economy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Indonesia has a burgeoning aviation market. The country's tens of thousands of islands are well-suited to the operation of regional aircraft. 

There are nearly 100 ARJ21 aircraft in operation across 300 flight routes, connecting more than 100 cities and having safely carried 5.6 million passengers, COMAC said. The company has vowed to provide lifecycle maintenance and support for the aircraft and continue to explore the international market.

China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings holds a controlling stake in TransNusa. In March 2020, the Chinese group acquired a 35.68 percent stake in the airline through an indirect investment, for a total cash consideration of $28 million.

In January 2021, China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings clinched a contract with COMAC for 60 ARJ21 aircraft, according to media reports. 

The delivery of the ARJ21 made TransNusa the first overseas operator of the plane. 

Meanwhile, the world's first C919 large aircraft, and also China's first domestically developed passenger jet, was delivered to China Eastern Airlines in Shanghai on December 9, and it is expected to be put into commercial operation in the spring of 2023.

China Eastern Airlines and COMAC signed the purchase contract for the first batch of five C919 aircraft in March 2021. The remaining four planes will be delivered in the coming two years. 

China Eastern Airlines also plans to raise 15 billion yuan ($2.21 billion) to acquire 38 aircraft, including a total of four C919 and 24 ARJ21-700 planes.

Global Times