Airliner · Civil · China
COMAC ARJ21
- November 28, 2008
- First flight
- 2016
- Introduced
- In service
- Status
- 210
- Units built
-1600.webp)
The COMAC ARJ21, rebranded C909 in November 2024, is China's first series-produced commercial jet, a 78- to 90-seat regional twinjet. It first flew on 28 November 2008 and entered service on 28 June 2016 with Chengdu Airlines.
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History
The ARJ21 programme formally began in March 2002 under the state-owned ACAC consortium, with the goal of giving China its first domestically produced commercial jet. The design blended Western suppliers with outside expertise: two rear-mounted General Electric CF34 engines and a 25-degree swept supercritical wing designed by Antonov. Development proved far harder than expected, and the first flight on 28 November 2008 opened a certification campaign so protracted that the programme ended up eight years behind schedule.
China's civil aviation authority granted the type certificate on 30 December 2014, and on 28 June 2016 Chengdu Airlines inaugurated commercial service. Production has been accelerating steadily since: by March 2026 some 210 aircraft had been delivered, and the type has ventured beyond China with operators such as Indonesia's TransNusa and Lao Airlines.
In November 2024 the manufacturer rebranded it as the C909 to align it with the naming of the rest of its catalogue. Beyond its numbers, the ARJ21 has a foundational value: it was the school in which Chinese industry learned to certify, produce and support a commercial jet, paving the way for the C919.
Variants
| ARJ21-700 STD (C909 STD) | ARJ21-700+ | ARJ21-700 CCF (C909 CCF) | ARJ21-700 ER (C909 ER) | ARJ21-900 | ARJ21B (C909 CBJ) | C909 EMJ | C909 FFJ | C909 MSJ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First flight | November 28, 2008 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aircraft type | Regional jet airliner | Regional jet airliner | Regional jet freighter | Regional jet airliner | Regional jet airliner | Business jet | Emergency management jet | Fire-fighting jet | Medical service jet |
| Powerplant | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A turbofans of 75.9 kN each, mounted on the rear fuselage sides | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A turbofans of 75.9 kN each | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A turbofans of 75.9 kN each | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A turbofans of 75.9 kN each | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A turbofans of 75.9 kN each | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A turbofans of 75.9 kN each | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A turbofans of 75.9 kN each | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A turbofans of 75.9 kN each | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A turbofans of 75.9 kN each |
| Powerplant | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A | 2 × General Electric CF34-10A |
| Thrust per engine | 75.9 kN Best value in this row | 75.9 kN Best value in this row | 75.9 kN Best value in this row | 75.9 kN Best value in this row | 75.9 kN Best value in this row | 75.9 kN Best value in this row | 75.9 kN Best value in this row | 75.9 kN Best value in this row | 75.9 kN Best value in this row |
| Length | 33.5 m | — | 33.5 m | 33.5 m | 36.4 m Best value in this row | 33.5 m | 33.5 m | 33.5 m | 33.5 m |
| Wingspan | 27.3 m Best value in this row | — | 27.3 m Best value in this row | 27.3 m Best value in this row | 27.3 m Best value in this row | 27.3 m Best value in this row | 27.3 m Best value in this row | 27.3 m Best value in this row | 27.3 m Best value in this row |
| Height | 8.4 m Best value in this row | — | 8.4 m Best value in this row | 8.4 m Best value in this row | 8.4 m Best value in this row | 8.4 m Best value in this row | 8.4 m Best value in this row | 8.4 m Best value in this row | 8.4 m Best value in this row |
| Wing area | 79.9 m² Best value in this row | — | 79.9 m² Best value in this row | 79.9 m² Best value in this row | 79.9 m² Best value in this row | 79.9 m² Best value in this row | 79.9 m² Best value in this row | 79.9 m² Best value in this row | 79.9 m² Best value in this row |
| Empty weight | 24,955 kg | — | 24,666 kg Best value in this row | 24,955 kg | 26,270 kg | 24,900 kg | — | — | — |
| MTOW | 40,500 kg | — | 43,500 kg | 43,500 kg | 43,616 kg Best value in this row | 43,500 kg | — | — | — |
| Top speed | 870 km/h Best value in this row | — | 870 km/h Best value in this row | 870 km/h Best value in this row | 870 km/h Best value in this row | 870 km/h Best value in this row | — | — | — |
| Max speed altitude | 10,668 m | — | — | 10,668 m | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cruise speed | 828 km/h Best value in this row | — | 828 km/h Best value in this row | 828 km/h Best value in this row | 828 km/h Best value in this row | 828 km/h Best value in this row | — | — | — |
| Cruise altitude | 10,668 m | — | — | 10,668 m | — | — | — | — | — |
| Service ceiling | 11,900 m Best value in this row | — | 11,900 m Best value in this row | 11,900 m Best value in this row | 11,900 m Best value in this row | 11,900 m Best value in this row | — | — | — |
| Range | 2,200 km | — | 2,780 km | 3,700 km Best value in this row | 2,222 km | — | — | — | — |
| Combat radius | 0 km Best value in this row | 0 km Best value in this row | 0 km Best value in this row | 0 km Best value in this row | 0 km Best value in this row | 0 km Best value in this row | 0 km Best value in this row | 0 km Best value in this row | 0 km Best value in this row |
| Range conditions | Range of 2200 km with 90 passengers and reserves; the extended-range ER version reaches 3700 km with the same load. | The weight and drag improvements aimed to extend the ARJ21-700 range without changing powerplant. | Shares airframe and engines with the ARJ21-700, from which it inherits its regional operating radius. | Extended-range version: 3700 km with 90 passengers thanks to higher operating weights (43500 kg takeoff) and no auxiliary tanks. | Stretch project not taken to production; it would share the ARJ21-700 powerplant and wing. | Built on the ARJ21-700 airframe; the lighter cabin load allows the ER version range to be exploited. | Keeps the ARJ21-700 airframe and engines, with the regional range of the base model. | Shares airframe and engines with the ARJ21-700; the water load replaces the civil payload. | Retains the ARJ21-700 airframe and engines and its regional operating radius. |
| Armament | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Max weapons load | 0 kg Best value in this row | 0 kg Best value in this row | 0 kg Best value in this row | 0 kg Best value in this row | 0 kg Best value in this row | 0 kg Best value in this row | 0 kg Best value in this row | 0 kg Best value in this row | 0 kg Best value in this row |
| Payload | 8,935 kg | — | 9,467 kg | 8,935 kg | — | — | — | 10,000 kg Best value in this row | — |
| Cargo capacity | Civil transport aircraft with no military capability. Five-abreast cabin: 90 seats single class, 78 in a two-class mixed layout and up to 95-97 high density. Maximum payload 8935 kg plus 20.1 m³ of underfloor hold. | Civil transport aircraft. Evolution of the ARJ21-700 proposed in 2018 with weight and drag reductions; it keeps the 70-95 seat cabin of the base model. | Cargo conversion of the ARJ21-700 with no passenger seating: 9467 kg maximum payload, compatible with PMC, PAG and AKE containers and pallets. CAAC type certified in January 2023, first deliveries October 2023. | Civil transport aircraft with no military capability. Same cabin as the standard version: 90 seats single class and 78 in a two-class layout, with a maximum payload of 8935 kg. | Civil transport aircraft. Stretched version of the ARJ21-700 to a 36.35 m fuselage, with a planned capacity of 95 to 105 seats. | Corporate version of the ARJ21-700 with a VIP cabin: the typical layout seats 20 passengers, far below the 78-97 seats of the airline version. | Emergency response version of the C909, CAAC type certified: the cabin is reconfigured as a command post and rescue-team transport instead of airline seating. | Fire-fighting version unveiled at the 2025 Paris Air Show and still under development: water tank of up to 10000 kg capacity plus 19 seats for evacuation personnel. | Medical version of the C909, CAAC type certified, with the cabin equipped for rescue and patient transport instead of the 78-97 airline seats. |
| Crew | 2 Best value in this row | 2 Best value in this row | 2 Best value in this row | 2 Best value in this row | 2 Best value in this row | 2 Best value in this row | 2 Best value in this row | 2 Best value in this row | 2 Best value in this row |
| Passengers | 90 | — | — | 90 | 105 Best value in this row | 20 | — | 19 | — |
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