After 13 years, China's home-grown Comac ARJ21 passenger jet enters commercial service

China's ambition of an indigenous plane took wings on Sunday as its first home-grown passenger jet, the Comac ARJ21, entered commercial service after 13 years in the making.

Configured with 90 economy-class seats, the jet was delivered to its launch customer, Chengdu Airlines, from Comac's Shanghai factory and flown to Chengdu by the airline's general manager Sui Mingguang and deputy manager Zhang Fang in an emotionally charged event bursting with nationalistic rhetoric.

"I am very proud to fly the first Chinese-made jet…It is not in any way inferior to the A320," said Zhang, the captain, upon landing, as reporters unleashed a volley of questions on comparisons with the bigger Airbus product.

Chengdu Airlines, a budget carrier in which Comac has a 48 per cent stake, now faces the task of establishing its maker's claims and proving to the world that China has arrived as a plane maker. ARJ's commercial performance will serve as a test case for the bigger C919, China's answer to Boeing and Airbus in the 150-seat category, that rolled off the assembly line this month.

The ARJ has yet to gain US endorsement, limiting its market to non-Western skies. But Comac has already received more than 300 orders, including from customers in the Republic of Congo, Thailand, Myanmar and Germany.

The plane was certified by the Chinese aviation authority last December after nearly seven years of tests.

Chengdu Airlines, which has a fleet of 20 A320s, said it planned to use the ARJ in less than three months upon completing post-delivery tests. It is likely to be used on prominent routes between Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen first, before being deployed in southwest China.