Seeing 3 Comac ARJ21s belonging to China’s 3 biggest airlines (China Eastern, China Southern and Air China) parked side by side is definitely an impressive sight. Not only does this mark an incredible moment in the history of Chinese aviation, but also a success for Comac, who came from nowhere and is now rapidly climbing the ranks in terms of aircraft production. China Eastern’s ARJ21 (so far, it has only received its 1st one) is actually being operated by OTT Airlines, its subsidiary, which is why you will see one of the aircraft in the photo in OTT’s livery. The ARJ21 is only made for 90 passengers, but because most big cities in China are right next to each other (on top of this, they’re all on the east coast) , it’s an intelligent move too make small planes. You musn’t undermine the financial power of these airlines, because each deal between Comac and the big 3 was worth a total of about $1.33 billion, for 35 aircraft. 32 ARJ21s are currently in service, but mainly with smaller, regional carriers, such as Chengdu Airlines and Jiangxi Air. Things are looking big for Comac… 6th of July 2020.
Aeronews24 