China's C909 Jet Begins Commercial Service In Vietnam

April 20, 2025

HANOI, 20 APR | This weekend, the very first jet from Chinese state-owned aircraft manufacturer- COMAC has launched commercial service in Vietnam with their C909 (formerly ARJ21) aircraft making its operational debut in the country.

2 C909 aircraft, wet-leased by Chengdu Airlines to VietJet Air, began commercial service on Saturday on domestic services between Hanoi, Con Dao and Ho Chi Minh City. The two jets, B-652G and B-656E, are 2.8 and 1.7 years old respectively and are both painted in a special "75th Anniversary of China Vietnam Diplomatic Relations" livery with both VietJet's and Chengdu Airlines' logos featured on the jet.

The inaugural flight of the C909 in Vietnam departed Hanoi (HAN) on Saturday at 6.45am, arriving shortly after in Con Dao (VCS) at 9.04am under flight number VJ101. With this, the airline becomes the 3rd international operator of the type, after TransNusa (Indonesia) and Lao Airlines (Laos), with the latter taking delivery of the type less than a week ago.

The COMAC C909 is a Chinese regional jet designed for short-to-medium-haul flights. Rebranded from the ARJ21 in 2024, it seats 78 to 97 passengers and is powered by twin rear-mounted GE CF34 engines. The aircraft features a supercritical wing for better aerodynamic performance and reflects China’s push for greater self-reliance in aviation manufacturing.

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Sources

- Reuters
- XinHuaNet
- JetPhotos
- Planespotters.net
- FlightRadar24
- Wikipedia