China will be rolling out the first Chinese-built ARJ21-700 on the 21 December at a ceremony in Shanghai in which representatives from nearly all of China’s airlines will be in attendance.
The roll-out ceremony will be held at Shanghai Aircraft Company’s aircraft assembly plant at Dachang Airport at 16:30hr, say officials in Shanghai who work for the aircraft’s maker AVIC 1 Commercial Aircraft (ACAC).
Representatives from nearly all the airlines in China will be in attendance as well as representatives from two international airlines, says an official, in ACAC’s marketing and sales department, who confirms one of the foreign carriers represented will be Lao Airlines, the flag carrier of Laos and the first export customer for the ARJ21-700.
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© www.yn.chinanews.com.cnThis ARJ21-700 is pictured outside the production plant earlier this year as it nears completion |
Chinese carriers that will be represented at the event include: Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines and Xiamen Airlines, adds the official.
ACAC has received firm orders for the ARJ21-700 from: Shandong Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Shenzhen Financial Leasing plus some other parties such as Xiamen Airlines and Laos’ government have signed letters-of-intent or memorandum of understanding for the aircraft.
The ARJ21-700 is due to have its first flight March next year and receive Chinese certification in time to be delivered to Shandong Airlines in September 2009.
It is a 90-seat General Electric-powered regional commercial aircraft.
* Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news service Air Transport Intelligence
Source: FlightGlobal.com
