Low-cost operator Vietjet has become the latest international operator of Comac’s C909 regional jet, with a pair of leased aircraft entering commercial service on 19 April.
The C909s, wet-leased from China’s Chengdu Airlines, began operating domestic flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city to Con Dao.
Con Dao airport, with its 1,830m-long runway, is unable to handle larger passenger jet aircraft, which has limited its connectivity with other points in Vietnam. Presently, Vietnam Airlines deploys ATR 72s on flights to Ho Chi Minh city.
According to flight tracking data, the pair of C909s – bearing a special hybrid livery – are B-652G and B-656E. Data from Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, shows that B-652G was delivered to Chengdu Airlines in 2022, while B-656E was built in 2024.
Comac states that in the lead-up to the wet-lease, Chengdu Airlines deployed a “special team” to oversee preparations for service entry “to efficiently ensure the smooth operation of the aircraft in Vietnam”.
Vietjet, which is an all-Airbus operator, is the third Southeast Asian operator of the C909, after Indonesia’s TransNusa Airlines and Laotian carrier Lao Airlines.
Comac brought its C909 and C919 narrowbody to Vietnam in February 2024, as part of efforts to promote its aircraft programmes to Vietnamese operators.
