China launches assembly center for large aircraft programme

Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd (COMAC) unveiled its manufacturing and assembling centre here Saturday, the latest step towards the goal to manufacture China’s
homegrown large aircraft. The Final Assembly Center of the COMAC was based on the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co, with a registered capital of two billion yuan (292.7 million US dollars), said COMAC’s general manager Jin Zhuanglong. It was one of the COMAC’s three key entities which were responsible for aircraft design, manufacturing and service.Jin said the Final Assembly Centre’s new base in Shanghai’s Pudong area will be constructed within this year. By 2010, the centre will be able to produce 30 ARJ21-700 model planes a year, and the capacity will be expanded to 50 jets by 2012, Jin said. The ARJ21, an acronym for “Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century,” is the first regional jet that China has fully developed independently, in accordance with the standards set by General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (GACAC), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA).