National Treasure – C909

The COMAC C909 (originally ARJ21) is a medium-short range turbofan regional jet developed by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC), featuring a 78-97 seat configuration and a range of 2225-3700 kilometers. It is China's first independently developed regional jet to enter the international market.

It features low wings, rear-mounted engines, a T-tail, and a retractable tricycle landing gear configuration. It has a two-person cockpit. The cabin interior adopts a modular design, flexibly meeting the operational requirements of different airlines and passenger groups. The cabin has 5 seats per row. In an all-economy class layout, it carries 90 passengers (ARJ21-700) or 105 passengers (ARJ21-900). In a two-class cabin layout, it has 78 seats (ARJ21-700) or 98 seats (ARJ21-900), with 8 first-class seats and 70 economy-class seats (ARJ21-700) or 90 economy-class seats (ARJ21-900). With a maximum cabin width of 3.14 meters (123.7 inches), it is one of the most spacious regional aircraft cabins.

The project was launched in 2002, completed its maiden flight in 2008, obtained its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China in 2014, and achieved its first commercial operation in 2016 through Chengdu Airlines. The C909 has high-altitude plateau adaptability, can meet the needs of complex terrain routes, and has spawned variants such as cargo and medical aircraft. In 2023, its passenger-to-freighter variant received airworthiness approval. In 2024, it officially adopted the commercial name C909, opened routes to Central Asia and Southeast Asia, and completed the verification of its domestically produced braking system in the same year. In 2025, the C919 and C909 completed biofuel test flights. The first C909 was delivered to Lao Airlines, marking the first entry of Chinese jetliners into the Laotian market. By the end of 2025, over 150 C909 aircraft had been delivered, serving more than 150 cities worldwide, and safely transporting over 17 million passengers. In October, China's domestically produced ARJ21-700 passenger aircraft obtained airworthiness certification from the Civil Aviation Department of Brunei.

As of December 3, 2025, the C909 aircraft had safely transported over 30 million passengers since its first commercial flight. According to news on December 14, 175 C909 aircraft have been delivered. In 2026, it will participate in the 2026 Singapore Airshow.