The story
Development began in 2002, the first prototype flew from Shanghai in November 2008, and after a long certification Chengdu Airlines carried the first passengers in June 2016. The 78-to-90-seat jet has rear-mounted GE CF34-10A engines, a T-tail and a supercritical wing designed with Antonov. COMAC renamed it the C909 in November 2024. More than 200 have been delivered, mostly to Chinese airlines, with TransNusa in Indonesia, Lao Airlines and VietJet among the first users abroad.
ARJ stands for Advanced Regional Jet, and the jet's original Chinese name, Xiangfeng, means 'soaring phoenix'.
Quick answers
How do you identify a C909 (ARJ21)?
A T-tailed twinjet with engines on the rear fuselage, so at a distance it can pass for an MD-80 or a CRJ900. Its winglets rule out an MD-80, and its fuselage is much wider than a CRJ's: the cabin is the same 3.14 m width as an MD-80's. A T-tail jet this size in Chinese airline colors is very likely a C909.
What does a C909 (ARJ21) sound like?
The familiar CF34 whine of a tail-engined regional jet.
How many people does the C909 (ARJ21) carry?
Typical configuration: 78 (2-class) to 90 (1-class).
How far can the C909 (ARJ21) fly?
Range is about 1,200 nmi (STD), 2,000 nmi (ER).
How big is the C909 (ARJ21)?
It is 109 ft 9 in long and 89 ft 6 in across the wings.
When did the C909 (ARJ21) first fly?
Its first flight was in 2008.
How many C909 (ARJ21)s have been built?
200+ built.
How rare is a C909 (ARJ21) in Bogey?
COMMON. Everyday traffic. You will catch plenty of these, and every first catch still counts. Your first C909 (ARJ21) catch is worth 25 points.
