With over 25 years in the aviation industry and 17,800 flying hours under his belt, pilot Zhang Daqi is eager to take on the biggest challenge of his career.

The 48-year-old is among the initial batch of pilots chosen by China Eastern Airlines subsidiary OTT to fly the ARJ21, the first regional passenger jet designed and made in China.

"The ARJ21 has a dual attraction for me," Zhang said. "It is the ambition of every Chinese pilot to fly a Chinese-made aircraft. Being one of the latest aircraft models, it also appeals to every pilot who loves both a challenge and change."

Zhang said it had taken him two months to qualify to fly the new passenger jet.

One Two Three Airlines was launched by China Eastern Airlines in February and announced it will use China-made aircraft, including the ARJ21 and the narrow-body C919 aircraft, which is still undergoing testing.

Eight of OTT's pilots have already qualified to operate the ARJ21, according to Zhang.

Apart from commercial airliners, Zhang has flown business jets such as Gulfstreams and modified Boeing 737s.

He compared business jets to luxury vehicles like BMWs and Audis and regional passenger jets to public transportation. Zhang said typical regional passenger jets presented pilots with a greater challenge as they were usually less sophisticated aircraft, but the ARJ21 was different.

"I was a bit anxious before the training, as I used to fly business jets. But to my surprise, our regional jets are fitted with state-of-the-art equipment," Zhang said.