Tibet Airlines has finalised an order for 40 of the new Chinese COMAC C919 and 10 ARJ21 jets. The order is the first outside of mainland China (albeit Tibet Airlines is still ultimately owned by the Chinese state). The C919 aircraft will be the first of the new short fuselage ‘Plateau’  version designed for high altitude.

The two companies signed the deal at the Singapore Airshow this week. The announcement came after Tibet Airlines and COMAC in December announced that they would jointly research a version of the aircraft suited for the specific needs of Tibet.

Gao Dongyue, an executive at Tibet Airlines, told a Reuters reporter that research to develop the C919 high-altitude variant was ongoing but that they could not yet disclose a timeline. “We have a lot of experience in this area,” he said. “And we’re taking into consideration all possible routes that could be suitable for the plane.”

Brunei-based Gallop Air has indicated it may become the first truly international customer for the C919, if a deal to acquire 15 of the type materialises from a letter of intent it signed in September 2023.