Homegrown Chinese ARJ21 jetliner launches first air route to Central Asia

China's homegrown regional jetliner, the ARJ21, launched its first air route to Central Asia on Friday, according to Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, its developer.

The aircraft was operated by Chengdu Airlines. It took off from Kashgar Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at 10:38am on Friday and arrived in Khujand in Tajikistan more than two hours later, COMAC said.

The opening of the air route will further promote exchanges between Kashgar and Khujand in fields including economy, culture, and tourism, contributing to the development of the "Air Silk Road," according to COMAC.

As a pioneer of Chinese commercial airplanes, the ARJ21 was put into commercial service by Chengdu Airlines in June 2016.