China’s domestically made regional jet, the C909, has struggled to compete with market leaders Airbus and Boeing since it launched a decade ago. But there is one place where it is thriving: the far-western Chinese region of Xinjiang.
Chinese airlines have rolled out C909s in Xinjiang at a rapid clip over the past few years. The first C909 touched down in the region as recently as June 2023. Now, there are 30 of them being used on more than 120 routes in the remote territory, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The regional jet has become a useful low-cost option for airlines expanding in Xinjiang – a vast but sparsely populated region, where planes are often the only convenient transport method for people travelling between cities.
With a capacity of just 78 to 97 seats, the C909 – previously known as the ARJ21 – is significantly smaller than standard narrowbody aircraft such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320, which typically carry 150 to 180 passengers.
The jet’s diminutive size can be an advantage in Xinjiang, where airlines are opening up lots of new routes and flights are often lightly used, especially during low seasons.
On low-traffic routes, the C909 is more cost-effective than larger narrowbody models, according to a report by researchers from the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) – the state-owned firm that produces the C909 and C919.
The Chinese jet’s contribution margin – which refers to sales minus variable costs – is 6,000 yuan (US$890) to 10,000 yuan higher per operating hour than the Boeing 737, said the report led by Guo Caisen, a senior economist at Comac.
That is partly because regional jets like the C909 receive double the subsidies compared with narrowbody aircraft in China, it added.
For the airlines, the C909 is therefore a good option during off-peak periods and when opening new routes, Comac’s Guo suggested. They can use the C909 to secure an airport slot and while growing the service, then switch to a larger model once passenger volumes pick up.
Independent aviation analyst Li Hanming echoed this point, saying the C909 was well-suited to routes in sparsely populated but strategically important regions along China’s northwestern borders, especially during periods of low demand.
Carriers could also be looking to gradually replace older, foreign-made aircraft with the domestic model, he added.
Airlines using the C909 in Xinjiang include Chengdu Airlines, Urumqi Air and China Express Airlines. Chengdu Airlines, which operates China’s largest C909 fleet, is partly controlled by Comac.
However, it remains to be seen whether the roll-out in Xinjiang is a sign that the C909 is finally achieving lift-off. Comac had delivered 175 of the regional jets in total as of the end of 2025, but the model has yet to prove its commercial viability.
So far, the C909 has mostly been deployed on regional routes across China, often in vast territories with similarities to Xinjiang. In Inner Mongolia, for example, local carrier Genghis Khan Airlines operates a fleet composed entirely of nine C909s.
But Comac has bigger ambitions. Its long-term goal is to take on the Airbus-Boeing duopoly around the world, with its initial efforts focusing on developing markets in Southeast Asia and Africa.
The firm still has a long way to go to achieve that aim, but it is starting to make some headway in Southeast Asia in particular. The C909 has already been used by carriers including Lao Airlines, Indonesia’s TransNusa and Vietnam’s VietJet Air, and flies on 20 routes across the region. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
