China to sell passenger jets to U.S. market

BEIJING, Nov. 4 (APP): China signed its biggest aircraft export agreement, in terms of both number of jets and contract value, Tuesday at the 7th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai city of southern Guangdong province. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) will sell 25 ARJ21-700 regional jets to GE Commercial Aviation Services of the United States under a deal worth $ 733.1 million.
The first jet will be delivered in 2013.
COMAC Chairman Zhang Qingwei told media persons that this was the first time Chinese-developed and manufactured regional jets have entered western airline markets.
ARJ21 (Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century) was developed independently by China. It has between 78-90 seats and a standard full-passenger flight can go 2,225 kilometers.
The regional jet will make its maiden flight in Shanghai within this month.
A total of 206 ARJ21-700s jets have so far been ordered.