Indonesia’s TransNusa operates longest ARJ21 flight

Indonesian carrier TransNusa Airlines has operated the longest ARJ21 commercial flight, deploying the Comac regional jet on flights between Manado and Guangzhou. The route is also the longest commercial flight operated by an ARJ21, at nearly 4h from Manado to Guangzhou, and about 3h 50min on the return leg, according to flight tracking data. In a statement following the inaugural flight, Comac hails the “important milestone” achieved by the ARJ21. “The launch of the new route…marks a new journey for the international operations of [Chinese-produced] commercial aircraft,” the Shanghai-based airframer states. According to TransNusa, it will operate three weekly flights with the ARJ21 between Manado and Guangzhou, with the intention to ramp up frequencies to daily flights by end-November. TransNusa, which is linked to Chinese lessor CALC, is the first foreign operator of the ARJ21. In July 2023, the airline launched ARJ21 flights between its Jakarta hub and Kuala Lumpur, marking the type’s first international flight. The airline, which has a pair of ARJ21s, then commenced flights to the southern Malaysian city of Johor Bahru in September. <br/>