The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) on Friday signed a co-operative agreement with AVICI Commercial Aircraft Company for the manufacture of ARJ21-700 advanced regional jets.

"The agreement requires adherence to the strict airworthiness rules set by China's CAAC,'' said Zhou Kaixuan, deputy director of the Airworthiness Department of CAAC.

CAAC held its first type certification board meeting in Shanghai to discuss the airworthiness of Model ARJ21-700, indicating that the new plane's design, test and manufacture will be done in accordance with the body's airworthiness standards for civil aircraft.

CAAC will supervise the whole process of ARJ21 aircraft manufacture, ranging from the initial airworthiness test to the issuance of airworthiness certification and regular safety checks throughout the life of the aircraft, said Zhou.

The 70-90-seat turbofan ARJ21 jet is targeted at regional transport markets in the 21st century, especially in China's western hinterlands.

"The new plane can compete with its overseas counterparts, as it is manufactured in line with the highest-standard airworthiness rules,'' he said.

The board meeting has decided to set up a 46-expert examination group that will oversee the research and manufacture of the new aircraft.

"Our work on the ARJ21 has gained the support of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),'' Zhou said.

However, the FAA didn't make a commitment to the proposal the Chinese side put forward asking the FAA to send experts to participate in the monitoring of the manufacture of the new aircraft. It only agreed to send an observer.

"But we are still trying our best to get their participation through further discussion,'' he said.

Tang Xiaoping, president of AVICI Commercial Aircraft Company Ltd, said the company has completed the initial design and will start the research and manufacture of the ARJ21-700 by the end of this year.

The first plane is expected to take its maiden flight in June 2006 and the plane will be ready for delivery to customers in 2007 after obtaining an airworthiness certificate from CAAC, Tang said.

The company has obtained orders for 35 ARJ21-700s, with Shanghai Airlines buying five, Shandong Airlines 10 and Shenzhen Airlines 20. The delivery of all the planes will be completed by 2011.

The company has injected about US$800 million to launch the project and it is conducting technical co-operation with world-famous aircraft manufacturers such as the Antonov Aeronautical Science and Technology Complex.

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