The first passenger jet aircraft that China is constructing with its own intellectual property rights, the ARJ21, will make its debut flight on September 21.

The first passenger jet aircraft that China is constructing with its own intellectual property rights, the ARJ21, will make its debut flight on September 21.

Three of the five finished ARJ21 passenger jets named "Xiang Feng" (Flying Phoenix) will be chosen for the debut flights, the National Business Daily reported today.

The ARJ21, which can carry 70 passengers, is a jet aircraft powered by turbofan engines with a maximum range of 3,700 kilometers.

It is designed by the China Aviation Industry Corporation I, to handle hot weather and the conditions found in China's west region.

The first ARJ21 rolled off the production line in Shanghai on December 21 last year, marking a major step forward for the domestic aviation market.

"China's aviation industry stepped into a new era today," Lin Zuoming, the general manager of AVIV I, said at the inauguration ceremony at the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory last year.

The maker has received orders for 71 jets, mainly from carriers and plane leasing units like Shanghai Airlines, Shandong Airlines and Laos Airlines and signed a deal with Shenzhen Airlines for 100 ARJ jets at the ceremony.

The debut flight was originally set for March this year but was postponed to September because suppliers failed to deliver components on time.

The project, which dates back to early 2005, is seen as the precursor to larger aircraft being built in China. Development has cost 6 billion yuan (US$882 million).

China is encouraging regional airlines to use the domestic aircraft by easing regulatory approval for those who choose to buy the new jets.

(Shanghai Daily September 9, 2008)