Take off as latest assembly line delivers ARJ21 to Jiangxi Air
An ARJ21 for Jiangxi Air rolls off the assembly line in Nanchang.
A second assembly line for the ARJ21, China's first domestically developed regional jet, was unveiled in east China over the weekend.
It also delivered its first ARJ21 to a client.
The production and test flying center in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, is responsible for inner decoration installation, livery printing, test flying support, delivery and maintenance.
It will also assist the main assembly in Shanghai with research and airworthiness certification for the C919, the nation's first home-developed single aisle airliner, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the jets' developer.
The center at Nanchang National High-tech Industrial Development Zone covers about 240,000 square meters. Construction started in April 2019. It has a completion center, print warehouse, delivery center and aprons.
Jiangxi Air, the first ARJ21 operator in east China, received its third jet from the new center.
The No. Yichun features a 90-seat all economy configuration. It follows the No. Jinggangshan and No. Jingdezhen, to showcase the image of popular Jiangxi cities on each of the airline's aircraft.
The carrier has a fleet of 13 aircraft, including three ARJ21s. By 2021, it plans to take delivery of another two ARJ21s.
The ARJ21 is China's first turbo-fan regional passenger jetliner which has a range of 3,700 kilometers. It can fly in alpine and plateau regions, and adapts to various airport conditions.
COMAC has so far delivered 38 ARJ21s to Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Chengdu Airlines, Jiangxi Air, Urumqi Air and Genghis Khan Airlines. Orders for the ARJ21 total about 600 units from more than 20 domestic and international customers, according to COMAC.
More than 1.3 million passengers have now traveled on the ARJ21 via multiple Chinese carriers. Since the jet started commercial operations with Chengdu Airlines in June 2016, it has connected 64 domestic and international cities. Also planned are additional short and medium-haul routes to eastern Russia, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Flight attendants pose in the cabin of Jiangxi Air's new ARJ21.
