The Comac ARJ21 has entered commercial service internationally, with Indonesian low-cost carrier TransNusa using the aircraft on the Jakarta-Bali Denpasar sector.
Flight tracking web sites show that on 18 April the aircraft (PK-TJA, MSN186) operated flight 8B5111 on the Bali-Jakarta route, as well as the 8B5112 return service.
Chinese news outlet Ecns.cn showed an image of staff and passengers in front of the aircraft Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Apart from the Ecns.cn story, neither TransNusa or Comac issued a statement about the flight.
Chinese social media suggests that the aircraft has completed 100h of verification checks in Indonesia.
Comac delivered the ARJ21 to TransNusa in December 2022.
The aircraft has 95 seats in an all-economy layout, with the interior and exterior of the jet customised at the request of TransNusa.
Comac has previously said that the aircraft was delivered under the auspices of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to expand Chinese investment and infrastructure internationally.
Cirium fleets data indicates that the aircraft is leased from China Aircraft Leasing (CALC), which entered a cooperation pact with TransNusa in 2019. In January 2021, CALC placed an order for 30 ARJ21s with TransNusa.
CALC holds a stake in TransNusa via its 72.28% stake in Aviation Synergy (Caymen), which in turn owns Naga Pacific Holdings, which has a 49% stake in TransNusa, according to filings on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
CALC chief executive Mike Poon is also listed as holding 14.1% in Aviation Synergy, and deputy chief Winnie Liu 13.1%.
