TIBET Airlines yesterday finalized an order for 40 C919 and 10 ARJ21 jets from COMAC designed to be suitable for high-altitude plateaus, becoming the launch customer for a new variant the Chinese planemaker is developing.

The two companies signed the deal on the sidelines of the biennial commercial and defense-focused Singapore Airshow.

The announcement came after Tibet Airlines and COMAC in December announced that they would jointly research a shortened variant of the C919 that will seat 140-160 passengers and can take off and land at high-altitude airports.

Henan Civil Aviation Development and Investment Group yesterday also signed an agreement with COMAC for six models derived from the smaller ARJ21 regional jet specialized for firefighting, medical services and emergency management.

COMAC’s C919 is in Singapore on its first trip outside Chinese territory, and the Chinese planemaker is positioning the jet as a viable alternative to the Airbus A320neo and Boeing’s 737 MAX families. (SD-Agencies)