China delivered seven domestically manufactured Xinzhou-60 passenger planes to four foreign countries in 2006, according to sources with the Xi'an Aircraft Industry Company (XAC), the manufacturer said on Friday.

 

The four countries are Zambia, the Republic of Congo, Laos and Zimbabwe.

 

XAC also received orders for 67 Xinzhou-60 planes from other African, Asian, American and Oceanic countries.

 

Developed and manufactured by XAC, a subsidiary of China Aviation Industry Corporation, the Xinzhou-60 is a turboprop aircraft that can carry 50 to 60 passengers. It sells for about 100 million yuan (US$12.5 million).

 

The plane meets international safety, comfort, and ease of maintenance standards, and costs 10 to 20 percent less than similar types of aircraft, according to XAC experts.

 

Air Zimbabwe signed a purchase deal with Xi'an Aircraft in November 2004, becoming the first foreign customer for the plane. Zimbabwe has so far bought three Xinzhou-60 aircraft.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2007)