SHANGHAI - China's domestically developed C909 passenger jet has begun commercial operation in Vietnam, further expanding its presence in Southeast Asia, according to Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd (COMAC).

Two C909 aircraft, wet leased by Chengdu Airlines to Vietnam's Vietjet Air, began service on Saturday on the Hanoi-Con Dao-Ho Chi Minh City route, the aircraft maker said.

Wet leasing is a common global aircraft leasing model in which the lessor provides not only the aircraft but also crew, maintenance, insurance, and operational support.

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Vietjet, Vietnam's first private airline, is a major operator in domestic and Asia-Pacific regional routes. Industry insiders believe that the addition of the C909 jets is expected to boost its fleet capacity and support the development of Vietnam's aviation market.

Formerly known as ARJ21, the C909 is a Chinese-developed regional jetliner with a range of 2,225 to 3,700 km.

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In December 2022, this model was delivered to its first overseas client TransNusa, an Indonesian airline. In March this year, COMAC delivered another aircraft to Lao Airlines. Vietjet is the third overseas operator of the aircraft.

To date, the three overseas airlines have collectively launched 15 routes using the C909 in Southeast Asia, transporting over 250,000 passengers.