COMAC obtained the first order from an airline outside China for the ARJ21 jetliner. Indonesia’s small carrier TransNusa will receive 30 aircraft by 2026 through an agreement with China Aircraft Leasing (CALC), signed on Friday.
CALC has a total of 137 aircraft in its portfolio, between its own and managed units, in addition to 254 orders, including 162 Airbus, 92 Boeing and 40 COMAC aircraft . The company also has a 49% shareholding in TransNusa, which opened the opportunity to pass on ARJ21 to it.
TransNusa was founded in 2005 and operates a small fleet of 4 ATR72 turboprops and a BAe 146-100. CALC’s goal is to expand the airline’s operations in the coming years.
In the announcement, China Aircraft Leasing said that the group’s companies “will take advantage of their respective business advantages to carry out a pragmatic and in-depth cooperation in international ARJ21 aircraft operations, aircraft asset management and aviation aftermarket”.
The agreement with COMAC provides for an after-sales service for the ARJ21 and C919, a new jet by the Chinese manufacturer, in addition to maintenance and operation management of the aircraft.
The ARJ21-700 is the first Chinese commercial jet produced in series. It entered service in 2016, but only last year did its production gain momentum, with the delivery of 24 aircraft. There are currently 46 ARJ-21 in operation, all in China.
