The static display and demonstration flight of the China-manufactured commercial aircraft ARJ21 and C919 were held on Wednesday at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Malaysia’s Selangor state.
This was the last leg of ARJ21 and C919’s five-country Southeast Asian demonstration flight tour after Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia. Visitors to the show included Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Liew Chin Tong, representatives from local investment promotion institutions and aviation sectors.
During the demonstration flights and static displays, producer of the two aircraft Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) conducted a series of product promotion activities for potential customers.
The purpose of this tour was to validate the aircraft’s adaptability to the airports and routes in the above-mentioned five countries, assess the adaptability of the airport ground service equipment, evaluate the adaptability of special flight procedures, and demonstrate 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 can accommodate 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.
On May 28, 2023, the C919 successfully completed its first commercial flight. 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.
