China to Build New Jetliner for Regional FlightsChina aircraft producers will design and build a new turbofan regional jetliner aimed at the booming domestic market.This was announced Tuesday by Liu Gaozhuo, general manager of the China Aviation Industry First Corporation. The civil plane is supposed to be advanced, feasible and efficient, said Liu in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong province, where the ongoing Third China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition started on November 6. When completed, the plane will be the first of its kind, entirely owned by China. World professional organizations predicted that the number of regional flights in China will rocket over the coming two decades, accounting for about 26 percent of all the air transportation, over twice as much as the current level. Experts believe that China will need an additional 445 regional planes by the year 2019. So far, the China Aviation Industry First Corporation has set up a branch company in charge of a design and construction program. Even though the program will be carried out with a self-reliant principle, China will still embrace foreign partners and support international cooperation, said Liu. |
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