(Yicai) July 2 -- The Chinese-made ARJ21 plane has completed its first commercial high-plateau flight.

The country’s first domestically developed regional passenger plane, developed by state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, finished the landmark flight in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region today, COMAC announced. The flight, operated by Chengdu Airlines, took off from Kashgar’s Laining International Airport and landed almost 300 kilometers away at Tashkurgan’s Khunjerab Airport.

After today’s maiden flight, Chengdu Airlines will operate three flights per week between Kashgar and Tashkurgan. The Khunjerab Airport, China's westernmost airport, is located almost 3,260 meters above sea level, neighboring Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and the region of Kashmir.

Aviation bases that are 2,438 meters or more above sea level are considered higher-plateau airports, per the Civil Aviation Administration of China. So far Airbus' A319 and A330 and Boeing's B737-700 make up the majority of the fleet that travel between China's 24 high-plateau airports.

The Chengdu-based airline currently operates nine ARJ21s in Xinjiang for over 40 routes between 24 airports in the region, facilitating short trips, according to COMAC.

The trailblazing ARJ21 completed its first commercial flight in June 2016. Its No. 1 high-plateau test flight took place in March 2017, and in July 2020, it carried out a successful test flight at Daocheng Yading Airport, the world’s highest civilian airport, which is perched among the mountains of Sichuan province, over 4,410 meters above sea level.

Editor: Emmi Laine