China's homegrown regional jetliner, the ARJ21, successfully completed its longest commercial route flight Tuesday, landing in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou after taking off from Manado, Indonesia. Flight 8B167, operated by the Indonesian airline TransNusa, landed at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to a ceremonial water salute, marking the inaugural flight on the airline's Manado-Guangzhou route and the longest commercial flight flown by the ARJ21.
This milestone also represents the first China-bound international flight operated by an overseas airline using the Chinese aircraft, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).
"We made it. It's the historical longest flight ever for the ARJ21. It [flew] not only in China, but it's outside China. So we go by the specification. The ARJ21 has great specifications of a regional aircraft. We will get more and more aircraft from China to use in Indonesia as now COMAC has good technology and the market need is there," said Leo Budiman, vice president of TransNusa.
Initially, the Manado-Guangzhou route will see flights arriving in Guangzhou on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and departing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Starting from the end of November, the route will increase to daily service, all operated by TransNusa of Indonesia using the ARJ21 aircraft.
TransNusa has received three ARJ21 aircraft from COMAC since December 2022 and opened eight routes with the model.
The ARJ21, China's first regional jetliner designed in compliance with international civil aviation standards and holding complete proprietary intellectual property rights, began development in 2002, made its maiden flight in Shanghai in 2009, and entered commercial service with Chengdu Airlines in June 2016. To date, 148 ARJ21 jets have been delivered to 12 different clients.
China's homegrown jetliner completes its longest commercial route flight
China's homegrown jetliner completes its longest commercial route flight
