COMAC rebrands ARJ21 as the C909

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COMAC rebrands ARJ21 as the C909

By Dominik Sipinski
13 OCT2024

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COMAC (Shanghai Pudong) has rebranded its first aircraft type, the ARJ21-700 regional jet, as the C909, in line with the designation used for the C919 narrowbody type.

The first ARJ21 with the new branding is B-099A (msn 10156) which has been painted in the new livery at Shanghai Pudong airport and is expected to be officially unveiled during the Zhuhai Air Show in November 2024.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows that COMAC has so far built 146 ARJ21-700s. One aircraft, msn 101, has been stored on display. The type is in service with eleven operators in China (excluding COMAC itself) and TransNusa in Indonesia. The largest operators are Air China and Chengdu Airlines with 30 each. The Chinese state-owned manufacturer has orders for a further 360 ARJ21s/C909s.

COMAC is also planning to develop the C929, a small widebody aircraft.
 
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Comac's C939​

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C909 accounts for 70% of China's regional aviation market

20:52, 28-Jun-2026
CGTN

A C909 aircraft performs during the Zhuhai Airshow, south China's Guangdong Province, November 11, 2024. /VCG


A C909 aircraft performs during the Zhuhai Airshow, south China's Guangdong Province, November 11, 2024. /VCG

China's homegrown C909 aircraft has become a pillar in the country's regional aviation market.

The C909 aircraft has taken 70% of China's regional aircraft fleet with 186 units delivered, ten years after the plane model was put into commercial operation in 2016, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.

The C909 has 90 seats and is mainly flown on regional travel routes that connect small and medium-sized cities.

It makes up a complete passenger transportation system with China's other domestically developed trunk airliners, including the C919.

"The C909 is a regional jet. Its route networks connect regional airports and secondary hub airports, playing a transportation supplementary role for major hub airports," said Chen Yong, chief designer of the C909 Aircraft series.

"At the initial stage of design, we fully took into account China's complex terrain and conditions of potential operation areas, so that the C909 would be well adapted to China's central, western, and border regions, as well as overseas regional operations such as in Southeast Asia." Chen said.

C909 has carried out over 37 million passenger trips across more than 180 cities with over 500 flights daily.

"As a common saying goes in our industry, a good aircraft is built through design and manufacturing, but even more than that, it is perfected through flights. The C909 has been constantly optimized and improved in design as it continuously undergoes the market tests," said Chen.

 

New China-Russia Air Link Opens with Maiden C909 Flight to Khabarovsk​


Jul 15, 2026

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A C909 aircraft operated by Chengdu Airlines departed northeast China's Harbin for Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East on July 14, marking the opening of a new international route with the Chinese homegrown jetliner.
 

China transforms jet into flying hospital with sterile surgical center, adaptable medical structure, and capacity to provide care to remote regions.​

Published on 16/07/2026 at 07:36
china-transforms-jet-into-flying-hospital-with-ste-1536x864.jpeg


搜狗截图20260716191756.png
Some operations prioritize patient transport. Others take doctors, equipment, and instruments to remote communities or disaster-stricken areas.

The aircraft brings specialized services closer to people facing long journeys. Consequently, the project reduces geographical obstacles during urgent care.

How the medical structure installed in the Chinese jet works​

The flying hospital uses a regional jet, not a helicopter. The internal configuration offers areas for evaluation, monitoring, transport, and performing medical procedures.

The technical team reorganizes the space according to the type of operation. Thus, the plane can transport patients, professionals, hospital materials, or specialized equipment.

This flexibility expands the possibilities of use. The C909 can support transfers, humanitarian missions, and care provided far from major urban centers.

Sterile surgical center expanded the capacity of the air hospital​

In November 2025, the project gained a Class I sterile surgical cabin. The new structure allowed for ophthalmological and otorhinolaryngological procedures.


COMAC worked with the Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University. Together, the institutions adapted the space for specialized surgeries.

The C909 ceased to function only as a medical transport means. The plane also began to offer an area prepared for procedures within the cabin.

Healthcare professionals attend to a patient on a stretcher inside a medical aircraft equipped with monitors and hospital equipment.
Simulation of the interior of the flying hospital with a medical team and intensive care structure.

First medical version of the C909 emerged in September 2025​

COMAC delivered the first medical aircraft on September 9, 2025. China Flying Dragon General Aviation received the model for specialized operations.

On that occasion, the manufacturer reported a standard range of up to 3,700 kilometers. Additionally, the jet offers a maximum load capacity of 10 tons.

These characteristics allow the transport of teams, patients, and equipment over long distances. In this way, the aircraft can undertake different types of missions.

Mission in Laos showed practical application of the project​


In February 2026, the C909 was already operating as an air hospital. During this period, medical teams conducted simulations and new procedures inside the plane.

Subsequently, the aircraft participated in a mission in Laos. During the operation, doctors performed an eye surgery inside the jet.

The procedure demonstrated the potential of the medical structure. Moreover, the mission showed how the platform can bring specialized assistance to other countries.

Surgeries take place on board, but not necessarily during flight​

Some publications suggested that doctors would perform complex surgeries while the plane was flying. However, official sources do not confirm this practice as a routine procedure.

The available information confirms surgeries inside the aircraft. However, teams can also perform the procedures while the plane remains parked on the ground.

This distinction keeps the project description accurate. After all, the C909 functions as a mobile medical unit but does not completely replace a traditional hospital.

Flying hospital expands possibilities of emergency medicine​

The air hospital can transport patients between cities, bring specialists to isolated areas, and support operations after disasters.

Additionally, the internal configuration adapts to different demands. Each mission defines the number of professionals, equipment, and patients transported.

The C909 represents a new application of regional aviation. In this way, the project brings together air mobility, hospital infrastructure, and specialized medical care.

COMAC, the Xinhua agency, CGTN, and Fudan University released the main information about the project.

 

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