Urumqi Air entered into an agreement with Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd (COMAC) at the 12th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China) on November 6, 2018 (local time), whereby the airline will take delivery of two ARJ21-700s from COMAC by the end of this year and plans to receive three additional ARJ21-700s in 2019.

At the Farnborough International Airshow held in July 2018, HNA Group signed a letter of intent to buy 20 ARJ21 aircraft from COMAC. The 20 airplanes will be operated by HNA Group's subsidiary Urumqi Air. "The purchase of the new model is expected to inject new impetus into Urumqi Air and to help the airline expand its regional air network," said Urumqi Air chairman Han Luhai.

With outstanding performance in extremely cold and high-elevation environments, the ARJ21 can accommodate the taking off and landing conditions at airports in the central and western regions of China and navigate the complicated air routes in these regions. The plane is better equipped to meet the air route operating needs of Urumqi Air in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.