Lao Airlines to start operating a C909 jet as China's COMAC expands internationally

[Beijingwalker]

Lao Airlines to start operating a C909 jet as China's COMAC expands internationally​

China | 26 Mar 2025 6:22 pm

A COMAC C909 regional jet flies in the sky at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China November 12, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo

Government-owned Lao Airlines is set to start operating COMAC's C909 regional jet, a spokesperson for the country's flag carrier said, joining several other Southeast Asian nations preparing to add Chinese-made commercial aircraft to their fleets.

A group of Lao Airlines staff was at COMAC's Customer Training Centre in Shanghai this week for training on COMAC planes, photos shared on social media by several employees showed.

A spokesperson for Vientiane-based Lao Airlines confirmed the training and said the airline was expecting to get one C909 around the end of March.

Other social media postings indicate staff from Laos' civil aviation regulator also attended training there this month.

Laos' Department of Civil Aviation (DCAL) did not respond to a request for comment on the training or certification of the C909 in Laos. COMAC did not respond to a request for comment.

The state-owned Chinese planemaker has since the start of last year stepped up marketing to regulators and airlines as it seeks to compete internationally with rivals Airbus, Boeing and Embraer and ramps up production of the C909 and its larger C919 narrowbody jet.

COMAC's C909, previously branded as the ARJ21, is a regional jet that seats up to 90 people and is China's first jet-powered plane to reach commercial production. It entered service in 2016.

The C909 is not as high-profile as COMAC's more advanced C919, but its introduction in Laos would allow the planemaker to gain a foothold in another country and boost its visibility outside China.

Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet has agreed to lease two C909s from China's Chengdu Airlines and is waiting for Vietnam's regulator to authorise the use of Chinese-manufactured planes in the country.

Laos already operates small Chinese-made Xian MA60 turboprop planes. A 2010 memorandum of understanding between the Chinese and Lao aviation regulators shows that Laos recognises China's aircraft design certifications - avoiding the step Vietnam's regulator needs to take.

Indonesia is the only country outside China operating COMAC planes, through Indonesian carrier TransNusa, which flies C909s.

Brunei-based startup GallopAir in 2023 ordered 15 C909s and 15 C919s, in the first non-Chinese C919 order, but has yet to receive authorisation for the C909s from the country's aviation regulator.

In January, the airline chartered a China Southern Airlines C909 to Brunei as trial.

 

[Beijingwalker]

COMAC C909

 

[FuturePAF]

It would be interesting to see if the C-909 and C-919 begin to operate in Nepal, because of the difficulties operating in those wind conditions. Short haul flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa or Chengdu and then onwards to International flights could be earn these planes much publicity amongst tourists, and give greater awareness globally.

A safer new Chinese airliner could also incentivize more Chinese tourists to go to Nepal. Especially if China helps Nepal install runway safety equipment, especially the airports on top of mountains.

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[Beijingwalker]

China's Homegrown C909 Jetliner Delivered to Laos for First Time​

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[Beijingwalker]

Air Cambodia to become latest customer for China-made COMAC planes​

By Reuters
September 10, 202512:23 PM GMT+8

A COMAC C909 regional jet flies in the sky at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China November 12, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights,

SEOUL/BEIJING, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Air Cambodia said it could buy up to 20 Chinese-made C909 regional jets, adding Cambodia to a growing list of Southeast Asian customers of China's state-owned planemaker COMAC, which is seeking to sell its aircraft globally.

Flag carrier Air Cambodia and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) both said on Tuesday they had signed a memorandum of understanding in China for 10 confirmed C909 orders, with the option to purchase 10 more.

https://www.reuters.com/en/air-cambodia-become-latest-customer-china-made-comac-planes-2025-09-10/

 

[Cesur]

Just like PIA became the first airline in Asia to operate the Boeing 737-300 in 1985 I hope PIA or some other Pakistani airline becomes one of the first outside China to operate COMAC's C919. It will be great to see China open a maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) facility in Karachi or Islamabad for Middle Eastern routes.

 

[ety]

Air Cambodia Orders 20 Chinese-built C909 Regional Jets

23/07/2026

SHANGHAI, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Air Cambodia, the country's national flag carrier, has signed an agreement with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) to purchase 20 C909 regional jets, the Chinese planemaker said.

The agreement, signed in Shanghai, makes Air Cambodia the first foreign flag carrier to place a bulk order for Chinese-built C909 aircraft, COMAC said.

The first batch is scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2026 and will enter commercial service with the airline.

Industry insiders said the new aircraft are expected to help Air Cambodia expand its route network, increase transport capacity and strengthen connectivity between Cambodia and regional markets.

Separately, COMAC and Cambodia's State Secretariat of Civil Aviation signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation in aviation safety, airworthiness certification and personnel training.

The C909, formerly known as the ARJ21, seats between 78 and 97 passengers and has a range of 2,225 to 3,700 kilometers. It is designed for operations at airports with short and narrow runways and performs well in high-temperature, high-altitude and crosswind conditions.

The C909 has expanded overseas since entering service in Indonesia in April 2023. It now operates in markets including Laos and Vietnam, serving 28 overseas cities and carrying more than 1 million passenger trips.

The jet accounts for about 70 percent of China's domestic regional jet fleet. China now has the world's largest air-travel population.

Data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China showed that the country has added about 40 million air travelers annually over the past two years, bringing its total air-travel population to 470 million, up 160 million from 2019.

https://www.caac.gov.cn/English/BeltAndRoad/202607/t20260723_231370.html