(Yicai) May 8 -- TransNusa Airlines, the first foreign carrier to operate China’s self-developed C909 regional passenger plane, launched its inaugural flight between Manado and Shanghai yesterday. This is the Indonesian carrier’s second route connecting the two countries as use of the C909 on international routes continues to grow.

TransNusa started flying direct from Manado to Guangzhou last year, which is the longest commercial route flown by the C909. The new route to Shanghai includes a stopover in the Philippines for refueling.

The Jakarta-based carrier, which is owned by China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings, was the first foreign airline to start using the C909 back in December 2022. This marked the first successful export of a China-made passenger jet and the beginning of its expansion overseas.

Until recently, the C909 was mainly used on domestic routes within China by airlines such as Chengdu Airlines, Genghis Khan Airlines, Jiangxi Airlines, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and China Express Airlines.

TransNusa’s ability to run international flights with the C909 is closely tied to its Chinese ownership. China Aircraft Leasing, which is a subsidiary of investment conglomerate China Everbright, took control of the airline in 2020. In early 2021, TransNusa ordered 30 C909 jets from manufacturer COMAC, aiming to introduce Chinese regional aircraft into global markets. It currently has a fleet of three planes.

More international orders are starting to roll in as the C909 gains more experience of operating abroad.

The first C909 jet was delivered to Lao Airlines on March 30, marking its debut in Laos. The aircraft made its first commercial flight on April 12, flying from Vientiane to Pakse. Lao Airlines plans to use the plane for domestic routes first and gradually expand to international routes.

Commercial operations in Vietnam then kicked off on April 19, when two C909s leased by Chengdu Airlines to VietJet Air started flying a new route connecting Hanoi, Con Dao and Ho Chi Minh.

The C909 is now being used on 15 routes across Southeast Asia, operated by TransNusa, Lao Airlines and VietJet Air, and as of April 30 had already carried over 250,000 passengers, COMAC said.

Editor: Kim Taylor