The ARJ21-700, China's first domestically made regional jet, has completed a series of test flights on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, demonstrating excellent high-altitude performance.
The ARJ21, produced by the Shanghai-based Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC), is a twin-engine jet for 78 to 90 passengers with a flight range of 2,225 to 3,700 km.
The aircraft first took to the sky in 2008. There are currently two ARJ21-700 jets in commercial operation between Shanghai and southwest China's Chengdu.
Between Feb. 28 and early March, the aircraft successfully completed 16 flight tests at an airport in Xining City in northwest China's Qinghai Province, located at an elevation of about 2,200 meters, meaning the jet is qualified to fly safely on the plateau.
The ARJ21 must go through several rigorous tests before officially being put into use at high elevations, an official with the Northwest Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China told Xinhua.
The ARJ21's smooth take-offs and landings confirmed its good performance on the plateau and COMAC plans to put the jet into operation in Qinghai if it passes more tests in the latter half of 2017.
