Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) recently delivered its 100th ARJ21-700 jet to Air China. “ARJ21 program has ushered in a new stage of mass production, large-scale operation, and serialized development,” commented COMAC while describing this latest milestone.
“The delivery of the 100th aircraft after the mass production is an important milestone for any commercial aircraft type. It means that the operating performance and operating level of the ARJ21 aircraft fleet are basically equal to that of mainstream aircraft, indicating that the safety and reliability of this aircraft have been fully tested by airlines and the civil aviation market,” COMAC said in a statement.
COMAC delivered only two ARJ21s in the first half of 2022 to Chengdu Airlines and China Southern Airlines. The official announcement of the 100th delivery indicates that COMAC delivered 32 ARJ21 in the second half of 2022, setting a record for new deliveries.
After obtaining operational certification in December 2014, the ARJ21-700 entered service in early 2016 with Chengdu Airlines, which to date is the largest operator of the model, with 28 aircraft.
Currently, the ARJ21 only has one direct competitor in terms of capacity, Embraer’s E175, which in a single-class version can carry 88 passengers.