COMAC C909 Regional Jet Celebrates 10 Years, Dominates Chinese Market

China's Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC) marked the 10th anniversary of its C909 regional jet, which entered commercial service on 28 June 2016. The manufacturer reports that 186‑187 aircraft have been built and delivered, carrying more than 37 million passengers on over 860 routes that serve more than 180 Chinese cities. The C909 now accounts for roughly 70 % of China's regional jet fleet and operates an average of over 500 flights per day, with a strong presence in western provinces such as Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang.

Beyond China, the type is expanding internationally. Operators in Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam now fly the C909 on 25 routes linking 28 cities, having carried over one million passengers abroad. The aircraft, originally launched as the ARJ21 and renamed C909 in late 2024, seats 78‑90 passengers and is powered by General Electric CF34‑10A engines. It forms part of COMAC's broader commercial portfolio that also includes the C919 narrow‑body and the forthcoming C929 wide‑body, with additional variants for business, cargo and medical missions already in service.