China's national aircraft manufacturer has received orders for 185 MA-700s from 11 domestic and foreign buyers.
At a ceremony in Xi'an on Tuesday, executives from Aviation Industry Corp of China signed contracts on the sales with six Chinese buyers, including Joy Air and Poly Technologies, and five foreign companies, including a Nepalese airline and South Africa's Segers Aero.
"We plan to use the MA-700 series to take at least one-third of the global market for turboprop airliners within 10 years of deliveries starting," said Dong Jianhong, chief designer of the airliner.
The MA-700 is a next-generation regional airliner that is under development by AVIC, the nation's largest aircraft manufacturer.
The company, which declined to put a value on the orders, launched the development of the MA-700 in December 2013, aiming to use the advanced aircraft to replace the MA-60 and others that date to the 1990s.
The plane will make its maiden flight in 2017 and is set to be delivered to buyers in 2019, according to an AVIC statement. The 86-passenger aircraft will have a top flight range of 2,700 km and a maximum cruise speed of 637 k/ph.
Aircraft designer Dong said AVIC will apply for airworthiness certification from the United States' Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency so that the plane can enter the Western market.
"Compared with its competitors, the MA-700 has better operational economy, a more comfortable cabin environment as well as a number of greener design elements," Dong said, noting the aircraft will have the most advanced flight control system, known as fly-by-wire technology, which will be the first time it has been used on a turboprop aircraft.
The MA-700's major rivals in the international market will be the European ATR 72 series and the Bombardier Q400 series from Canada.
AVIC estimates that the global aviation market will need at least 2,900 turboprop regional airliners in the next 20 years, of which China will need nearly 350.
Geng Ruguang, deputy general manager of AVIC, said the MA-700 features good adaptability to poor-condition airports and is able to take off and land on short runways.
It is suitable for operations on plateaus or in places with high temperatures, so will suit China's western regions, high-altitude areas in Latin America and tropical areas in Southeast Asia and Africa.
