C919 + ARJ21: China-made commercial aircraft debut at Singapore airshow

China's five homegrown jetliners made first "group appearance" overseas as the Singapore Airshow kicked off at the Changi Exhibition Center on Tuesday.

The quintet consist of two C919, the country's first homegrown large passenger jet, and three ARJ21 passenger jetliners, which are open to the public at model exhibition, outdoor static display and flying shows during the event lasting from Tuesday to Sunday.

Multiple models, including the 1:20-scale C919, ARJ21 and C929 as well as 1:32-scale ARJ21 aircraft are presented inside the exhibition hall. The C919 and ARJ21 airliners presented outdoor welcome onboard visit.

Developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC), C919 is a two-engine narrow-body airliner with 158 to 192 seats and a flight range of 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers. It adopts cutting-edge aerodynamic design, advanced propulsion systems and materials, featuring lower carbon emissions and higher fuel efficiency.

The first C919 aircraft made its inaugural commercial flight between east China's Shanghai Municipality and the capital city Beijing on May 28, 2023. Currently, four C919s have been put into operation, serving more than 110,000 passenger trips.

The ARJ21 regional jet can carry 78 to 97 passengers with a range of 2,225 to 3,700 kilometers. It features an outstanding performance in takeoff and landing at high-temperature, high-altitude airports and strong crosswind resistance capabilities. A total of 127 ARJ21 jets have been delivered since its commercial operation in June 2016, safely transporting more than 11 million passenger trips.

The biennial airshow has attracted more than 1,000 companies from more than 50 countries and regions.

New orders settled

On the same day, new orders for C919 and ARJ21 jetliners were finalized between two Chinese air-service companies and the COMAC.

The Tibet Airlines ordered 40 units of C919 high-altitude variant and 10 units of ARJ21 high-altitude variant. Henan Civil Aviation Development & Investment Group signed an order for six ARJ21 variants, respectively for fire extinguishment, medical service and emergency rescue command.

The C919 high-altitude version is derived from the basic model by shortening the fuselage and making modifications to fit for transportation in high-altitude plateaus. It hosts 140 to 160 seats with a takeoff and landing capability suitable for all high-altitude airports in China.

The high-altitude model of ARJ21 has a maximum takeoff and landing height of over 4,419 meters and can resist crosswinds, fitting for most domestic high-altitude airports.

The ARJ21 fire fighting variant can make a swift response, accurately locate fire areas and efficiently extinguish fire, as well as functions including aerial monitoring and commuting. Its medical service jet can be used for patient transport and critical emergency treatment, and the emergency management model can be applied for airspace command, emergency rescue command and rescue force transport, and the establishment of temporary communication networks in disaster-affected areas.