China Started to Produce the Turbofan Regional Aircraft ARJ21,

The ARJ21, China's first turbofan regional aircraft designed by China Aviation Industry Corp I (AVIC I), is expected to come off the production line at the end of this year and be ready for test flights in March 2008. The aircraft will be delivered in the third quarter of 2009, the official China Daily said.

The jet can carry 70 to 110 passengers and flies a maximum distance of 3,702 kilometers.

AVIC I has so far received 71 orders for the jet from domestic carriers, the company expects to sell at least 300 ARJ21 aircrafts within 20 years to domestic airlines.

The ARJ21 project, which was approved in 2002, received government investment of 5.0 bln yuan for its first stage, the newspaper added.

The final assembly plant in AVIC1’s Shanghai Aircraft (SAC) has received many of the aircraft parts and final assembly work is due to commence this month.

Xian Aircraft (XAC, owned by AVIC I) delivered an ARJ21 mid-fuselage and one set of wings to SAC. “It is the most important development in the ARJ21 programme,", said a spokesman of the company.

Other parts already delivered to SAC for final assembly include the aircraft’s nose, which AVIC 1’s Chengdu Aircraft delivered in December, and a front fuselage section that XAC delivered to Shanghai in September.

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