Indonesian low-cost carrier TransNusa has taken delivery of its first ARJ21-700, the first delivery of the aircraft type to a customer outside China.

ch-aviation reports that the airline was scheduled to take delivery of the aircraft via a China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings (CALC) operating lease late last year, the first of 30 on order from aircraft manufacturer COMAC, but that delivery was delayed due to the pandemic.

CALC is a subsidiary of the state-owned China Everbright Group which has a long-term commercial relationship with state-owned COMAC and also holds a 49% equity interest in TransNusa. CALC also signed a 2018 strategic cooperation agreement with the aircraft manufacturer to increase sales.

TransNusa operates a limited network across Indonesia’s major domestic routes, such as Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta and Denpasar and Yogyakarta International with its fleet of two A320-200s and a A320-200N through operating CALC leases.

COMAC is reported as having delivered 27 ARJ21s this year and a total of 93 since production began – all to Chinese carriers.