China's new regional jet aircraft, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's ARJ21-700, has successfully completed its first flight.
The aircraft's manufacturer confirms the first flight, which took place today, in a brief statement to its Western suppliers. The first flight took 61min at an altitude of 2,500m (8,200ft).
"Each system installed on the aircraft performed very well," says Comac. "This is a significant milestone in the development of the ARJ21 programme."
The ARJ21-700, which is a 90-seat aircraft powered by General Electric CF34 engines, took off from Shanghai's Dachang Airport, close to the manufacturer's aircraft assembly plant.
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Comac is working to ensure the aircraft receives Chinese certification and aims to deliver the first aircraft to launch customer Shandong Airlines by the end of next year.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
