Why China’s C909 jet is rapidly being deployed in Xinjiang

China’s domestically made regional jet, the C909, has struggled to compete with market leaders Airbus and Boeing since it launched a decade ago. But there is one place where it is thriving: the far-western Chinese region of Xinjiang.Chinese airlines have rolled out C909s in Xinjiang at a rapid clip over the past few years. The first C909 touched down in the region as recently as June 2023. Now, there are 30 of them being used on more than 120 routes in the remote territory, according to state broadcaster CCTV.The regional jet has become a useful low-cost option for airlines expanding in Xinjiang – a vast but sparsely populated region, where planes are often the only convenient transport method for people travelling between cities.