China's first fully homegrown commercial aircraft, the ARJ21, rolled off the production line at Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory on December 21, 2007, marking a major step in the country's aviation program.

The ARJ21 jet's name, Xiang Feng, meaning "flying phoenix" was unveiled at the rollout ceremony. The name was chosen in a global competition via the Internet, said a spokesman of the China Aviation Industry Corp. I (AVIC I), the jet's designer and producer.

"Today China's aviation industry has turned over a new leaf," Lin Zuoming, General Manager of AVIC I, said at the ceremony.

The new-born jet, powered by a turbofan engine and with a capacity of 90 passengers and a maximum range of 2,000 nautical miles, is planned to make its maiden flight in March 2008 and will be delivered to the first customers in the third quarter of 2009 after it gets an airworthiness certification in the first half of the same year.

"By adopting mature technologies, the regional jet is reliable on safety and it sells well, which will definitely promote China's aviation industry and its civilian aircraft industry to step onto a new stage," said Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan, who was also present at the ceremony. Zeng also encouraged the jet producers to work hard to ensure a successful maiden flight of the ARJ21-700 jet next year and to meet the needs of the market.

"Although their average age is below 30, they have been flying passenger airplanes for quite a few years," Luo said.

Vice Chief Designer Chen Yong said the jet will go through more than 170 tests before it receives certification.

"The ARJ21 also focuses on comfort. The passenger cabin is 123 inches wide, 15 to 25 inches wider than Bombardier's CRJ700 and CRJ900, and Brazil's ERJ170 and ERJ190. The seat is 0.9 inches wider than that of the Boeing 737," said Chen, adding that it's one of the amplest cabins of any regional plane in the world.

"We aim to provide regional air passengers with service comparable to trunk line airplanes," he added.

The ARJ21, a regional passenger jet with 70 to 110 seats, is the world's first plane designed to take into account China's natural environment. The plane will be capable of taking off and landing at high altitudes at airports in west China.

The ARJ21 program was formally approved by Chinese authorities in 2002, with a first-stage investment of 5 billion yuan ($667 million) from the government.

Warming market

For the present, AVIC I has received 171 orders for the regional jets from domestic carriers, 100 of which were signed with Shenzhen Airlines during the ceremony, being the largest single order that AVIC I has ever received.

The manufacturer also received orders for 71 jets from other domestic airline companies, including Shandong Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Shenzhen Financial Leasing Co. and Shanghai Electric Leasing Co.

"Some foreign companies are showing increasing interest in the ARJ21 jets these days. We expect to receive more overseas orders in the first half of next year," said a source with the AVIC I Commercial Aircraft Co., which plans mass production in 2009 and expects to realize an annual output of 50 aircraft by 2011.

At present, the civil aircraft market in China is largely monopolized by Boeing Co. and Airbus. The ARJ21 is expected to grab up to 60 percent of the domestic market for medium-sized regional airliners over the next 20 years, said AVIC I.

ARJ21, short for "Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century," is built for safety and a low price, according to experts. It is the first regional jet that China has fully developed on its own, in accordance with the standards set by the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (GACAC), U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Joint Aviation Authorities.

AVIC I expects the jet to get its airworthiness certificate in the first half of 2009 and plans to begin deliveries to customers in the third quarter of 2009, the company said.

The FAA opened an office in Shanghai in March that is working with GACAC to meet safety standards and gain certification for the jet.