COMAC readies for jet assembly

Commercial Aircraft Corp of China is expected to assemble 50 ARJ-21 regional jets annually by 2014 and 150 C919 jumbo jets by 2020.

Four ARJ-21 jets are being tested in Shanghai, COMAC said yesterday. The testing will gradually be transferred to the company's general assembly base, still under construction, near Pudong International Airport by the end of this year when part of its assembly lines are due to be completed.

Jiang Liping, the chief engineer at Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company, said yesterday the base has five main production lines which will assemble parts made by other aircraft manufacturers in China, including Chendu Aircraft Industrial Co and Harbin Aircraft Industrial Group.

The base is located close to two new runways being built at Pudong airport. The fourth and fifth runways will provide a testing ground for the Chinese-made C919 and the ARJ21.

The C919 is due to make its first flight in 2014 and enter service in 2016, COMAC said, adding that there are now a total of 330 orders for the jumbo jet.