Building a sustainable feeder airline network

On November 24,the domestically produced ARJ21 regional jet welcomed its 10 millionth passenger.

Ten million passenger trips mark the maturity of this aircraft model and its successful market test.The aviation manufacturing industry is characterized by economies of scale.The commercial success of an aircraft model is measured by its market share,adaptability,stability,and reliability.ARJ21 has achieved a mass production capacity of 30 to 50 aircraft per year and is moving towards large-scale operation and series development.

Ten million passenger trips also represent a new starting point.ARJ21 is exploring the potential of the domestic market and expanding into international markets to build a sustainable domestic regional aviation network.

Ten Million Votes Build a Market Foundation

Since its official entry into commercial operation in June 2016,ARJ21 has embarked on a journey of commercial success.

In the past 7 years,ARJ21 has delivered 117 aircraft to Air China,Eastern Airlines,Southern Airlines,Chengdu Airlines,Sky Airline,Jiangxi Airlines,China Express Airlines,and Indonesia's Aviastar,opening more than 400 domestic and international routes,serving over 140 cities,and operating nearly 1800 flights per week.

According to COMAC,ARJ21 has become a mainstream model in the domestic regional aviation market,accounting for nearly 50%of the market share and earning a good reputation.

Each passenger flight is a'vote,'and the 10 million'votes'ARJ21 has received have laid a solid market foundation.An aviation enthusiast who has flown on ARJ21 across more than ten cities in China said that the consistent experience,from initial excitement to routine travel,demonstrates the aircraft's stable and reliable performance.

Zou Jianjun,a professor at the Civil Aviation Management Cadre College of China,believes that the completion of 10 million passenger trips by ARJ21 signifies the maturity of this aircraft model and is a remarkable achievement in the commercial operation of domestically produced commercial aircraft.To achieve large-scale development,it is necessary to continuously improve the aircraft's economic efficiency and adaptability to meet the needs of the civil aviation market and local economic development.

Currently,ARJ21 is actively expanding its domestic and international market presence.Domestically,ARJ21 has withstood extreme cold temperatures of-50℃and,with its excellent performance in taking off and landing at high-altitude airports and its resistance to crosswinds,has advanced into the vast western regions,initially forming a route network covering North China,Northeast China,East China,Northwest China,Southwest China,and Central South China.

Overseas,the Southeast Asian operation has started well.Two ARJ21 aircraft have been put into service on domestic Indonesian and international Malaysian routes.Since August this year,the overseas fleet's daily utilization rate has remained stable at over 8 hours,and the aircraft's performance has been recognized by overseas customers.

Meanwhile,the ARJ21 series development has also made new progress.On October 30,the first two brand-new ARJ21 aircraft departed from Guangzhou,embarking on a new journey.Unlike previously delivered aircraft,these two ARJ21s are newly converted passenger-to-freighter aircraft,meaning that ARJ21 can not only operate civil aviation passenger flights but also serve as an air logistics'postman'.

In addition to the ARJ21 freighters already delivered,the ARJ21 business jet and medical aircraft have received airworthiness approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China,and derivative models such as emergency rescue command aircraft and fire-fighting aircraft are being developed in an orderly manner.

From Large-Scale Operation to Industrial Ecosystem

Recently,with an ARJ21 aircraft flying from Kuqa Qumul Airport to Urumqi Diwopu International Airport,completing a demonstration flight segment,a month-long demonstration flight covering all 25 transport airports in Xinjiang successfully concluded,laying the foundation for the subsequent operation of domestically produced commercial aircraft in Xinjiang.

During the demonstration flight,the ARJ21 achieved an average daily utilization rate of 9.2 hours,with a total flight time of 276 hours.Among them,9 flights were to Tashkurgan Khunjerab Airport,a high-altitude airport in Xinjiang,fully verifying the aircraft's adaptability to the airport procedures and high-altitude operation.

“Xinjiang is a vast market,and regional aviation plays an irreplaceable role as an important air channel,which can effectively serve local economic development and facilitate people's travel,”said He Qinghe,director of the Xinjiang Airport Group Marketing Committee.

The Xinjiang demonstration flight fully verified the ARJ21's adaptability to Xinjiang's complex terrain,such as the Tianshan Mountains,complex weather conditions such as wind and sand,and airports and routes within Xinjiang,demonstrating the feasibility of promoting'regional-regional'flights and improving the utilization rate of numerous regional airports in Xinjiang,showcasing the broad commercial prospects of ARJ21 operations in Xinjiang.

On September 26,COMAC signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region government to increase the number of ARJ21 aircraft in Xinjiang,promote the implementation of the basic aviation service plan in Xinjiang,gradually connect the region with Central Asia,help Urumqi build an international aviation hub,and help Xinjiang build a bridgehead for China's opening to the west.

In addition,in Inner Mongolia,Yunnan,Guizhou and other places,ARJ21 is actively improving the aircraft's market adaptability and finding a development path that matches local economic development.

Under the background of the Civil Aviation Administration of China's vigorous promotion of the"trunk-branch connectivity,full network connectivity"service model,airlines are exploring a series of operating models,including through flights,sub-hubs,and air express lines,combining trunk and branch lines and branch and branch lines,according to the characteristics of their respective target markets.ARJ21 still has considerable market development space.

As ARJ21's flight map continues to expand,its industrial map is also accelerating its expansion,creating a strong driving force for the sustainable development of domestically produced commercial aircraft.

Industrial layout and market development complement each other.Shanghai,Sichuan,Jiangxi,Inner Mongolia,Xinjiang and other places support the market introduction and industrial development of ARJ21,forming a good match with aircraft market operation.Improved guarantee capabilities and reduced operating costs will further enhance the aircraft's market development capabilities.

ARJ21 has formed an operating fleet in China that combines state-owned and private airlines and trunk and regional airlines,enhancing communication and cooperation among ARJ21 operators and laying the foundation for future dense route networks and improving the efficiency of trunk-branch connectivity.

In addition,airports,air traffic control,maintenance,finance and other civil aviation units have joined forces to serve domestically produced commercial aircraft,creating an operating ecosystem that supports the healthy development of the industry.

Expanding into International Markets

In April this year,ARJ21 made its first overseas flight,opening the door to the international market.Currently,two ARJ21 aircraft have been delivered to Indonesia's Aviastar and,based in Indonesia,have opened two international routes from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru,Malaysia.

As of October 24,ARJ21 has operated overseas for more than 2100 hours,carrying more than 70,000 passengers,with an average daily utilization rate of 7.5 hours,and an average daily utilization rate of 8.9 hours in the past month.

COMAC introduced that to ensure the overseas operation of ARJ21,COMAC sent a backbone force to provide on-site guidance and support to Indonesia's airline,Wings Air,in actively exploring economic operation through measures such as increasing cruising altitude,optimizing alternate airports,single-engine taxiing,and carrying fuel from other locations.

During this period,the ARJ21 achieved improved operational capabilities in the overseas market,fully demonstrating the aircraft's comprehensive strength and market adaptability.

The ARJ21 completed verification flights on short and narrow runways in Indonesia,making it suitable for all airports in Indonesia that can accommodate jet airliners.According to a reporter's interview,Indonesia has many small and medium-sized airports with short and narrow runways.Among the 134 airports that handle passenger airliners,49%have runways less than 2000 meters long,and 74%have runways less than 45 meters wide.The ARJ21's successful verification flights on short and narrow runways mean it can be used at all airports in Indonesia that can handle jet airliners,laying a solid foundation for the ARJ21 to expand into the Southeast Asian market.

"The Indonesian market is very suitable for regional aircraft,especially for inter-island travel,where regional aviation plays an irreplaceable role.The daily utilization rate and passenger load factor of the ARJ21 in the Indonesian market have both reached a high level."said Yang Jun,Party Secretary and Chairman of COMAC Customer Service Company.

The operation of the ARJ21 in Indonesia,its first overseas market,has also attracted attention from neighboring countries,creating conditions for further expansion into the Southeast Asian market.