▁the ▁number ▁on ▁order ▁for ▁ ▁had ▁ris en ▁to ▁ 3 5 ▁aircraft . ▁ ▁During ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁A TR ▁achieved ▁their ▁first ▁break through ▁sale ▁in ▁China , ▁placed ▁by ▁operator ▁China ▁X in ji ang ▁Airlines ▁and ▁the ▁Civil ▁A viation ▁Administration ▁of ▁China ▁( CA AC ). ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁while ▁the ▁Asia ▁Pacific ▁region ▁had ▁compr ised ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁A TR ' s ▁sales ▁when ▁ge ograph ically ▁ranked ; ▁however , ▁orders ▁from ▁Chinese ▁air lines ▁remained ▁el us ive ; ▁B agn ato ▁as cribed ▁this ▁anom aly ▁to ▁local ▁market ▁conditions ▁dict ating ▁the ▁typical ▁use ▁of ▁larger ▁aircraft , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁Chinese ▁government ▁policy ▁of ▁impos ing ▁high ▁tar iffs ▁on ▁the ▁import ▁of ▁foreign - built ▁fixed - wing ▁aircraft . ▁During ▁late ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁A TR ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁new ▁office ▁in ▁Be ij ing ▁and ▁h ired ▁several ▁former ▁Air bus ▁sales ▁personnel ▁with ▁the ▁aim ▁of ▁launch ing ▁the ▁type ▁in ▁the ▁Chinese ▁market . ▁A TR ▁believed ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁already - flow n ▁routes ▁did ▁not ▁suit ▁larger ▁ 1 5 0 - se at ▁aircraft ; ▁however , ▁of ▁the ▁roughly ▁ 2 , 6 0 0 ▁commercial ▁aircraft ▁flying ▁in ▁China ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁only ▁ 6 8 ▁had ▁a ▁capacity ▁of ▁less ▁than ▁ 9 0 ▁seats ▁and ▁of ▁these , ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 2 0 ▁were