China's C909 jet captures larger market share as regional aircraft fleet remains unchanged

China's in-service regional aircraft fleet remained unchanged in the first half of 2026, while the homegrown C909 increased its share to nearly two-thirds of the market, according to civil aviation data provider Flight Master.

China had 251 regional aircraft in service during the period, unchanged from the second half of 2025, while the number of C909 jets rose by 17 to 165, accounting for 65.7 percent of the fleet, according to a recent report by Flight Master.

The increase coincides with declines in the numbers of Embraer E190 and E195 aircraft and Bombardier CRJ-900NG jets. Flight Master said the figures reflected a broader shift in China's regional aviation market from fleet expansion toward greater use of domestically produced aircraft, route-network restructuring, and improved operating efficiency.

The C909, developed by Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, is China's first domestically developed regional jet to enter commercial service. Its growing presence is strengthening the role of homegrown aircraft in connecting smaller cities and remote areas with major aviation hubs.

Despite the change in fleet composition, overall regional aircraft operations weakened during the six-month period. Regional aircraft operated about 166,200 flights and provided 15.82 million seats, down 3.5 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively, from the second half of 2025.

The aircraft served 112 regional airports, equivalent to 61.5 percent of the country's operating regional airports. At 11 airports, regional jets were the only type of passenger aircraft providing scheduled services, highlighting their importance to communities with relatively limited air transport demand.

The broader regional airport market also recorded softer traffic. China's regional airports handled more than 429,000 passenger aircraft movements in the first half, down 2.2 percent year-on-year, while passenger throughput declined 1.1 percent to about 43.3 million.

Growth remained stronger in parts of western China. The northwest was the only region to record an increase in regional airport flights, with traffic rising 7.4 percent year-on-year. Flights in Tashkurgan Khunjerab Airport in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region surged 146.3 percent year-on-year, while Alshaa Left Banner Bayanhot Airport in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region handled 1,232 regional-aircraft flights, up 34.2 percent.

The figures indicate continued growth potential for regional aviation in border and high-altitude areas, where air services are particularly important because of long distances and challenging terrain, the report said.

China's regional airports offered 1,955 direct outbound nonstop passenger routes during the period, three more than in 2025. Behind the broadly stable total was a substantial network adjustment: 454 routes were added and 451 suspended, while frequencies were reduced on 761 routes and increased on 700.

Nearly 90 percent of the routes averaged no more than one outbound flight a day, underscoring the low-frequency nature of much of the regional network.