The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has issued type certification for the ARJ21-700, marking a major milestone for China in its foray into the commercial aircraft manufacturing sector.
Certification of the regional jet was awarded at a ceremony in Beijing this afternoon, attended by officials from the CAAC and Comac.
Aircraft 105, due to be delivered to launch customer Chengdu Airlines, landed at Beijing Capital International airport on 28 December.
Certification of the aircraft marks the end of a long and tedious journey for China, where inexperience in development and certification have resulted in major delays to the programme. Comac previously told Flightglobal that attaining certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration remains a target, even after achieving Chinese certification.
The ARJ21 programme was launched in 2002 and took its first flight in 2008. It flew for more than six years, accumulating over 5,000 flight hours, before today's certification.
Comac has secured commitments for 278 ARJ21s, mainly from Chinese airlines and leasing companies.
In September, Comac told Flightglobal that discussions on plans to improve the ARJ21 have started, and that work to define improvements will kick into full-swing after the aircraft receives Chinese certification. This is to ensure that the much delayed jet stays competitive in the market, especially at a time when Russia and Japan are also introducing their own versions.
Comac is also building a narrowbody, the C919, with a maiden flight planned by the end of 2015.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
