After more than two years since TransNusa became the foreign launch customer for Comac, I finally had the chance to fly this intriguing new aircraft, much to my excitement. Since taking delivery of its first Comac C909 (also known as the ARJ21) in December 2022, the airline has shifted its deployment strategy several times; initially, the airline used the aircraft for high-frequency shuttles between major cities, before assigning it to thinner routes from various Indonesian destinations. Having been based in Manado for much of the past year, I eventually managed to catch a flight on the type between Jakarta and Bali.

Longtime readers of Jakarta Potato might recall that I was an early supporter of TransNusa when the airline relaunched operations in 2022. Although its service offering has declined somewhat in the years since, TransNusa now appears to be repositioning itself as a medium-service carrier – a development I was keen to experience firsthand.

Booking TransNusa

The easiest way to book a TransNusa flight is through their official website, TransNusa.co.id, which is exactly what I did. If you’re specifically hoping to catch the Comac jet for some reason, make sure to look for ARJ-21 under the flight details. The airline’s small Comac sub-fleet currently hops between Jakarta and a handful of destinations, including Kuala Lumpur, Singkawang, and Bali, though the schedule seems to change on a whim.

In total, I paid IDR 1,015,000 (around USD 61 or GBP 46) for my one-way flight from Jakarta to Bali – one of the cheaper fares available that day. I also splurged on a front-row seat for IDR 110,000 and added a hot meal for IDR 49,000. Interestingly, now that TransNusa markets itself as a ‘medium-service’ airline, it technically offers complimentary refreshments. What that actually entails, however, remained to be seen.

Check-in

I arrived at Jakarta’s main gateway, Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, about an hour and a half before my 07:10 departure. TransNusa operates out of Terminal 3 – the airport’s newest and most modern facility, usually reserved for full-service carriers. The airline clearly takes pride in this, even touting it as a selling point on some of its promotional banners.

Check-in for TransNusa is located at Island E, where the airline impressively occupies an entire row of counters. Self-service kiosks, however, are nowhere to be found – a bit old-school, but not necessarily a bad thing. To my delight, the counters were completely deserted that morning. Within minutes, the friendly ground agent had printed my boarding pass and sent me on my way.

Boarding

Still half-asleep at this point, I decided to skip any further exploration and drag myself straight to the gate after clearing security. Like Pelita Air, TransNusa flights depart from Gates 20–28, located at the far end of Terminal 3 – a bit of a trek, especially before my morning cuppa!

A Pelita Air flight had just wrapped up boarding as I arrived, and moments later, TransNusa’s ground staff took over the gate area. Despite the printed boarding time of 06:30, an announcement came ten minutes early inviting priority passengers to board. We were then herded down a stairway and onto a bus for the short ride to our jet.

Sadly, despite being first on the bus, I somehow managed to end up among the last to board in the first wave – it certainly was not my finest moment. Thankfully, the middle section of the aircraft was completely empty, giving me the perfect chance to snap a few clean cabin photos.

Our ride today was PK-TJC, a Comac C909 delivered brand-new to TransNusa in June 2025 – meaning the aircraft was barely a few months old at the time of this November 2025 flight. Practically, it still has that new plane smell!

TransNusa cabin

TransNusa’s Comac C909s are fitted with an all-Economy layout featuring 95 seats, making them among the densest-configured C909s in operation. In particular, the first five rows are classified as PRO seats, incurring a much higher price to select compared to other seats; the following five rows are the ‘Front Standard’ seats. Note that none of these seats, except for the bulkhead row, feature extra legroom.

With its 2-3 seating arrangement, the cabin instantly reminded me of the Airbus A220 – only noticeably narrower. That’s hardly surprising, considering the Comac is, for all intents and purposes, a modernized descendant of the MD-90/Boeing 717 (though the manufacturer would rather you didn’t say that).

That said, the cabin itself doesn’t look like something frozen in the 1990s – thankfully. In fact, it feels just as fresh and modern as any other narrow-body jet flying today. If you didn’t know any better, you’d never guess this wasn’t your typical Airbus or Boeing-built aircraft. If anything, I liked how the windows are of a similar size to those on a Boeing 737.

Seat details

Technical pedigree aside, the slimline seats on TransNusa’s C909s are, frankly, not the most comfortable. They feel like a cross between Lufthansa’s awful A320-family Recaro BL3520 seats and an ironing board. Still, credit where it’s due – every seat comes with a pillow, which significantly improves comfort and lumbar support while seated. While small, it is genuinely a thoughtful touch, especially for an airline that until recently was a low-cost carrier.

Being in the front row, I had excellent legroom as expected. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the rest of the cabin. At 180 cm tall, I measured roughly 3–5 cm of space between my knees and the seatback – fine for a short hop like Jakarta–Bali, but I wouldn’t fancy it on a longer sector like Manado–Shanghai.

Despite the aircraft’s newness, the cabin amenities are rather barebones. There’s no in-flight entertainment of any kind – no WiFi, no seatback screens, no overhead monitors, not even an in-flight magazine. The seats also lack power outlets, so it’s worth bringing a fully charged device or, better yet, an actual book if you’re flying this route. But hey, at least the tray tables are sturdy and sizeable!

At the very least, I appreciate that overhead air vents are available at each seat – an amenity that has been omitted on way too many new planes, I’d say. Furthermore, I loved how the cabin was kept cold throughout the whole flight, making a world of difference in a tropical country like Indonesia.

Departure from Jakarta

Because boarding was done by bus, there was a brief pause after the first group of passengers had settled in. As we waited for the next load to arrive, Agung, our lead flight attendant, welcomed us on board on behalf of Captain Ari, cheerfully announcing a flight time of about one and a half hours.

Sure enough, a second bus pulled up around ten minutes later, bringing in the final few passengers. With everyone on board, the front door was closed at 06:49, and we pushed back three minutes later. After a bit of radio chatter between the crew and the ground staff, we were finally on our way.

As we taxied out, the two flight attendants performed the safety demonstration by hand, accompanied by a pre-recorded narration. Naturally, my attention was elsewhere – glued to the window, watching the morning ramp activity and the planes we trundled past.

Runway 25R was conveniently located right in front of Terminal 3, so our taxi was mercifully short. After waiting for a couple of departures ahead of us, we lined up and launched down the runway at 07:07, a few minutes ahead of schedule. Despite being powered by the same stubby GE CF34 engines found on the Embraer E-Jets, the Comac’s takeoff roll had quite a punch – more like a freight train than regional jet. I could feel the surge pressing me into my seat, and honestly it was glorious.

Lavatory

The seatbelt signs were switched off at 07:13, about six minutes after takeoff. Once we were free to move around, I decided to stretch my legs and check out one of the two lavatories onboard. As expected, it was spotlessly clean and in excellent condition – though otherwise pretty standard fare.

There were no special amenities to speak of (not that I was expecting any), but I was pleasantly surprised by how spacious it felt. In fact, it was roomier than most regional jet lavatories I’ve encountered – and that alone deserves a small round of applause.

Refreshments

As I mentioned earlier, I had pre-ordered a hot meal during the booking process. Having sampled most of TransNusa’s options over the years, I decided to go with the omelette this time – a fitting choice for an early morning departure. True to form, my meal arrived promptly soon after we reached cruising altitude. It’s worth noting that TransNusa no longer sells hot meals on board, so if you want one, you’ll have to pre-book it in advance.

The omelette was served piping hot on a blue plastic tray, accompanied by a small bottle of mineral water. As for the taste, it was exactly what you’d expect from a typical Asian airline breakfast – a fluffy omelette paired with a serving of chicken sausage and a cheerful mix of peas, corn, and carrots. Familiar, yes, but surprisingly fresh and satisfying for a short hop like this.

As I polished off my breakfast, the two cabin crew made their way down the aisle to conduct in-flight refreshment sales. About fifteen minutes later, they made another pass – this time offering complimentary bottled water and Oreo biscuits. Sneaky move! I can’t help but feel a bit sorry for anyone who just bought some water, only to get a free one moments later. Still, it’s nice to see TransNusa providing complimentary refreshments – so really, who am I to complain?

Service

As with most of my past experiences on TransNusa, the service on this flight was both professional and genuinely friendly. Of course, I wasn’t expecting Singapore Airlines–level pampering (that would be a stretch), but I really appreciated how polished and attentive the crew were throughout the flight. Beyond simply going through the motions, they were proactive and observant – offering to clear trays without being asked, and doing it all with a smile. It’s the kind of small, thoughtful gesture that makes a short flight feel that bit more pleasant. Good job, TransNusa!

Arrival in Bali

About 25 minutes before landing, Captain Ari came over the intercom to share our arrival details. Along with the good news that we’d be arriving ahead of schedule, he also reminded passengers to use the lavatory and instructed the crew to prepare the cabin for descent. Sure enough, the flight attendants soon made their way down the aisle, tidying up trays and collecting any lingering trash.

The seatbelt signs flicked back on about 15 minutes later, marking the start of our final approach into Bali. As we broke through the clouds, the Benoa Peninsula appeared below – a sure sign we’d be approaching from the east.

We touched down smoothly on Runway 27 at 09:39, a good twenty minutes ahead of schedule. A quick taxi later, we reached our parking stand. Because of the Comac’s short stance, we’d be disembarking via air stairs, which meant a short stroll across the tarmac to the terminal – allowing me to get a close look at the jet.

With the seatbelt signs off and the doors open, I thanked the cabin crew for a pleasant flight and stepped out into the warm Bali air. Before heading inside, I paused for a final look at our stubby little jet – a quirky but charming aircraft that had carried us here without a hitch.

Verdict

So, how did it feel to fly on a Chinese-built aircraft? Well – very ordinary, actually. The flight was completely uneventful, and in many ways, that’s exactly what you’d hope for on a regular commercial service. Nothing about the Comac particularly stands out; even as an aviation geek, the experience felt much like any other short-haul flight. TransNusa, on the other hand, seems to have matured nicely into an affordable medium-service carrier – a clear step up from Indonesia’s typical low-cost competition.

To put the two together: I’d happily fly TransNusa again without a second thought, though I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to fly the Comac again – having done it once, my curiosity was surely satisfied (that said, I wouldn’t mind another ride.)

Read more Indonesian airline reviews here!