COMAC (Shanghai Pudong) has reached a milestone in its ARJ21-700 twinjet programme when airframe B-938L (cn 105) made its maiden flight in Shanghai Pudong on Wednesday, June 18, 2014.

The aircraft - China's first independently developed twin-engine regional airliner - is the first of thirty on order from launch customer Chengdu Airlines (EU, Chengdu Shuangliu) and is expected to be delivered in early 2015.

COMAC intends to complete all outstanding ground tests and flight tests in order to secure the type its airworthiness certificate before year-end.

Other operators and lessors to have ordered the type include: Shenzhen Financial Leasing, GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), Shanghai Airlines (FM, Shanghai Hongqiao), Xiamen Airlines (MF, Xiamen), Shandong Airlines (SC, Jinan), Henan Airlines (2009) (Xi'an Xianyang), Lao Airlines (QV, Vientiane), JoyAir (JR, Xi'an Xianyang), Myanma Airways (Yangon), and Merpati (Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta).