Air Cambodia has signed an agreement to purchase 20 COMAC C909 regional jets, becoming the first foreign flag carrier to place a large order for the Chinese-built aircraft.
The agreement was signed in Shanghai and announced by COMAC on Sunday, one day before the opening of the Farnborough International Airshow, although the state-owned company is not expected to have a significant presence at the event. Deliveries of the first aircraft are scheduled to begin in the second half.
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The order comes as a surprise given Air Cambodia's modest size. The airline currently operates just six aircraft—one Airbus A321, two A320s and three ATR 72-600 turboprops.
It also follows another major fleet announcement earlier this year. In February, Air Cambodia disclosed plans to acquire 20 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, although the carrier has yet to reveal how the narrowbody jets and the smaller C909s will fit into its long-term fleet strategy.
The airline had previously been linked to a potential COMAC deal. Chinese state media reported in 2025 that Air Cambodia had reached an agreement covering 10 firm C909 orders and 10 purchase options, but neither the airline nor COMAC formally announced the transaction at the time.
Formerly known as the ARJ21, the C909 seats between 78 and 97 passengers and offers a range of up to 3,700 km (2,300 miles), depending on configuration. The aircraft is intended for regional routes and operations from airports with shorter runways.
Alongside the aircraft order, COMAC and Cambodia's State Secretariat of Civil Aviation signed a memorandum of understanding covering cooperation in aviation safety, airworthiness certification and personnel training.
The C909 entered international service in Indonesia in 2023 and has since expanded to operators in Laos and Vietnam. According to COMAC, the type now serves 28 cities outside China and has carried more than one million passengers on international routes.
