China's domestically developed ARJ21 regional aircraft is undergoing its commercial operation phase by linking 38 cities at home and abroad, according to its developer Thursday.

The ARJ21 passenger jetliners have carried a total of 690,000 passengers on 37 air routes, said the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).

Developed by the COMAC, the ARJ21 is China's first domestically-developed turbo-fan regional passenger jetliner.

To date, the COMAC has delivered 22 ARJ21 airplanes.

The commercial operation of the ARJ21 on June 28, 2016, showed that China's skies had embraced the first domestically-developed commercial jetliner.

On October 26, 2019, the ARJ21 aircraft started its first international service between the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin to Vladivostok in the Russia's Far East. It is a major step for the China-developed jetliner in commercial operation, said the COMAC.

The ARJ21 project has newly been honored with the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award, among China's top science and technology awards.

The aircraft model of the ARJ21 has passed the whole process of developing and putting into commercial operation a new passenger jetliner, said the COMAC.

(Top image: An ARJ21 aircraft takes off from Shanghai Dachang Airbase, November 28, 2008. /CCTV Photo)