Chinese aircraft company opens first subsidiary overseas

LOS ANGELES -- The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) on Saturday opened its first wholly-owned overseas subsidiary in the city of Newport Beach, South California in the United States.

The COMAC America Corporation aims to further COMAC's relationship with local civil aviation authorities, aerospace companies and academic institutions, mainly in areas such as airworthiness certification, civil aircraft development and educational training, said Jin Zhuanglong, chairman of the COMAC.

"Chinese civil aviation market is the No.1 booming market...The fast-growing Chinese civil aviation industry is now becoming an indispensable force to world aerospace industry," Jin said, adding that China is embracing an era of mass aviation with its remarkable air transport growth.

Jin noted that the COMAC has actively established collaboration with various enterprises, organizations from different countries and regions.

"Up to now, we've formed strategic partnership with altogether 16 renowned international aerospace enterprises as suppliers to our C919 aircraft, including GE (General Electric Co), UTC (United Techonology Corporation) and Honeywell," he said.

"Various universities in the US have provided training programs to COMAC, and we have collaborated with Boeing on energy saving programs," Jin added.

As the manufacturer of the C919, China's first homegrown large passenger aircraft, COMAC currently has two major products: C919 and the new regional jet ARJ21.

"By now, the accumulative orders of C919 have reached 400. The program has entered detailed design phase of engineering development stage. The aircraft is planned to sets its first flight in 2015," Jin said.

While the first four planes of the ARJ21 "have all entered the test flight phase and airworthiness certification process," said Jin, with their first delivery planned in 2014.

ARJ21, short for Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century, is a 78-seat to 90-seat, first and specially designed Chinese jet to satisfy regional aviation market.

The Chinese Consul-General in Los Angeles Liu Jian also attended the ceremony and jointly unveiled the new company with Jin.