The makers of the Chinese designed Comac ARJ21-700 aircraft are applying for an airworthiness certificate from the United States, and hope to use the craft next year on commercial flights.

On September 8, more than 30 Shanghai residents were invited to travel from Nantong to Nanjing on an ARJ21. It is expected that the craft will begin commercial flights by next year. The airliners will be delivered to Chengdu Airlines in mid-November this year.

ARJ21 is China’s first domestically developed short-range regional aircraft (it has a 2225 to 3700 km range). The craft has been nicknamed “The Flying Phoenix” in Chinese. The airliner will mainly be used to fly passengers from central city hubs to close by medium and smaller cities.

On March 16, 2015, ARJ21 began demonstration flights. More than 1,000 passengers won the flight to be some of the first aboard the plane.

More than 300 ARJ21 airliners have been ordered by 19 customers, including Haiyan Commercial Group, Nanshan Group (who ordered two for private use), and an African company from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

ARJ21 still must establish operational support, a demand management system, and a license management system. The company expects to obtain its official production license in November 2015 in order to make its first airplane deliveries,

Source: thepaper.cn

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Keywords: ARJ21 China Chinese-made aircraft ARJ21