China's aircraft manufacturer COMAC has painted an ARJ21 regional jet with the C909 brand, in keeping with its naming convention. The images were circulated on Chinese aviation forums and social media. The rebranding, while symbolic, indicates that Beijing wants to position itself as a meaningful alternative to Airbus e Boeing, especially with the Zhuhai air show approaching.
An ARJ21 was spotted with “C909” painted on its blue tail at Shanghai Pudong Airport, according to photographs taken by s of the jetphotos.com e planespotters.net. Other images were also posted on the Chinese social network Weibo.
Since its launch in 2016, the ARJ21 has been operated by several Chinese airlines and TransNusa from Indonesia. However, experts say it cannot compete globally. COMAC's next aircraft, the C919, is expected to enter service in 2023, and the manufacturer is developing a twin-aisle jet, called the C929.
After Russia left the t venture that developed the CR929, the model was renamed C929 and is now part of a future line that could include an even larger jet, the C939.
COMAC's regional jet continues to be listed as ARJ21 in the International Civil Aviation Organization's database. Renamings to unify brands are a not-so-rare practice in aviation; for example, in 2018, Airbus rebranded Bombardier's CSeries as the A220.
Ramping up its sales and production plans this year, COMAC has been promoting its planes beyond China's borders. However, industry sources warn that the company still faces significant challenges in becoming competitive in the international market, especially without EU or US certifications, which are being sought for the C919.
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