China's C919, ARJ21 planes end 5-country Southeast Asian flight demonstration tour in Malaysia

A static display and demonstration flight of the China-manufactured commercial aircraft C919 and ARJ21 took place on Wednesday at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Malaysia's Selangor state.

The event marked the conclusion of the C919 and ARJ21's five-country Southeast Asian demonstration flight tour, following visits to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia. Show attendees included Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Liew Chin Tong and representatives from local investment promotion institutions and aviation sectors.

Throughout the demonstration flights and static displays, aircraft manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) conducted a series of product promotion activities for potential customers.

The purpose of the tour was to evaluate the aircraft's adaptability to the various airports and routes in the five countries, assess the adaptability of the airport ground service equipment, test the feasibility of special flight procedures, and highlight the economic viability of these routes, said COMAC, adding that demonstration flights would lay the foundation for future market development in Southeast Asia.

The ARJ21 regional aircraft is designed to seat 78-97 passengers, with a flight range of 2,225-3,700 kilometers. The C919 jetliner has a layout of 158-192 seats, with a range of 4,075-5,555 kilometers, according to the company.

The C919 completed its first commercial flight on May 28, 2023. Since then, five C919 aircraft have been delivered to China Eastern Airlines, its inaugural customer, operating round-trip flights on Shanghai-Beijing and Shanghai-Chengdu routes. It has safely transported over 140,000 passengers so far, according to COMAC.