ARJ21 gets ready for highland flights

Source: Xinhua | 2018-03-22

CHINA’S first domestically developed regional jet, ARJ21, launched a 10-day “demonstrative operations” yesterday in Inner Mongolia to prepare for its commercial highland flights.

The jet, flown by Chengdu Airlines, the aircraft’s first commercial operator, is operating daily return flights with onboard passengers between Hohhot and Ulanhot through March 30, said developer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.

It is the first time that the ARJ21 has returned to Inner Mongolia after it started flying commercially in 2016. The jet made test flights in low temperature and highland conditions in Hulun Buir in Inner Mongolia for its airworthiness certification between 2010 and 2014.

The 90-seat ARJ21 was designed to fly in conditions prevalent in China’s central and western regions. It can take off and land at nearly all the highland airports in the country. It can also fly in temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius, said COMAC which has won 453 orders for the jet from 21 customers at home and abroad.

The airline’s four ARJ21s have flown 50,000 passengers since it started commercial flights in June 2016.