Comac Arj21-700

Twin Jet

The Comac ARJ21 represents China's first modern indigenous regional jet, entering commercial service in 2016 after a protracted development that began in the early 2000s. Built by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, the ARJ21-700 is a 78-90 seat twin-engine jet designed to compete with the Bombardier CRJ900 and Embraer E-Jets family on short-haul routes across China and Southeast Asia. The aircraft's designation stands for Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st century, reflecting Beijing's ambitions to establish a domestic aerospace industry capable of challenging Western manufacturers. Powered by two General Electric CF34-10A turbofans, the ARJ21 cruises at Mach 0.78 with a maximum range of approximately 1,200 nautical miles at full passenger load. The design borrows heavily from the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series, particularly in its fuselage cross-section and tail configuration, reflecting technology transfer agreements from the 1990s. While the aircraft faced significant certification delays and initially struggled with dispatch reliability, ongoing improvements have gradually expanded its operational footprint beyond launch customer Chengdu Airlines to include regional carriers across China and a handful of international operators in Laos and Indonesia. The ARJ21's operational envelope is conservative by modern standards, with a service ceiling of 39,000 feet and approach speeds around 132 knots, making it well-suited to secondary airports with shorter runways. Its maximum operating speed of 330 knots IAS and Mmo of 0.78 position it as slightly slower than competing Western designs, though adequate for the regional missions it was designed to fly. The type has become a testbed for Chinese aviation certification processes and represents a stepping stone toward Comac's larger C919 narrowbody program. SkyMeter has tracked 691 flights across 108 airframes and 1 operators over routes, with the largest observed operator.