China's homegrown ARJ21 jetliner launched first high-plateau air route
China's homegrown regional jetliner launched its first high-plateau air route in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in early July, Xinhua reports
The regional air route connects southern Xinjiang's Kashgar Laining International Airport with the Khunjerab Airport in the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, a land port on the China-Pakistan border situated in the Pamirs Region of South Xinjiang.
A plateau airport is defined as one at an altitude exceeding 1,500 metres above sea level, while those above 2,438m are classified as high-plateau airports. The Khunjerab Airport, located at 3,258m above sea level, is the first high-plateau airport in Xinjiang.
Chengdu Airlines, based in southwest China's Sichuan Province, stated that it has deployed the ARJ21 aircraft on this route due to its excellent performance.
The aircraft developer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China said it took into consideration the air transport needs of high-altitude airports when designing and developing the ARJ21 aircraft. Its reliability has been verified through repeated high-altitude test flights over the years.
