The C919, China's first locally manufactured regional jet, has attracted more than a hundred orders, reports the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac).
The single-aisle jet, exhibited at the recent Airshow China 2010 in Zhuhai, now lists as customers Chinese carriers Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines. The roll call also includes lessors CDB Leasing and GECAS of GE Aviation.
The C919 taps into the global narrow-body segment of the market, competing with the Boeing B737 and Airbus A320. It seats between 150 and 168 passengers.
Fine tuning of the design is expected to complete in the next two years, with the maiden flight in 2014. Deliveries will follow two years after that. Comac said it was still too early to say who the launch customer would be.
In another development, China bought 100 Airbus aircraft for distribution amongst the state-owned carriers, 20 of which were bought by Air China (see news)
Alisha Haridasani
