The ARJ21 program was formally approved in 2002. The jet will be capable of reaching speeds rarely seen in the history of global aviation, said Chen Jin, vice president of Commercial Aircraft of China Aviation Industry Corporation I.

Chen expected the jet to acquire air worthiness certificates from the Chinese government and from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States in 2007.

The new regional jet, with 70 to 90 seats, will be powered by a CF34-10A engine made by the General Electric (GE) Company. It can adjust to the high altitudes and high temperatures of China's western airports and can also provide a more comfortable environment for passengers.

Experts say that the regional jet will replace larger planes in order to increase frequency of flights and to satisfy China's growing need for business and cargo planes.

GE predicts that in the next 20 years, China will require 1,800new passenger planes, of which about half will be regional jets.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2003)