Chinese plane may get FAA stamp in 2014  

ARJ21客机有望明年适航认证 或为大飞机“趟路”

中国首架自主知识产权的喷气支线客机ARJ21-700有望在2014年适航认证。中国商飞副总经理吴光辉12日在接受中新社记者采访时透露，2014年ARJ21-700适航认证将为下一步中国国产大客机C919的适航取证 “趟出道路”。

Beijing (CNS) -- The ARJ21-700, a China-designed twin-engine regional airliner, is expected to obtain type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States in 2014, the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) said on Tuesday.

Wu Guanghun, vice manager of COMAC, told reporters that the ARJ21-700, with completely independent intellectual property rights, is designed to fly 90 passengers on short-haul flights. The aircraft performance parameters meet the diverse and demanding conditions in China, including the heat and high altitude of western China, Wu added.

After its first flight on Nov 28, 2008, the ARJ21-700 has accumulated more than 3,500 hours of test flights, Wu added.

Earning an FAA type certification is a precondition for the ARJ21-700 to enter the world market, experts said. It also will help the C919, a large commercial airliner that uses several of the same technology of the ARJ21-700, to step into the world market, they added.

FAA accepted a type certification application for the ARJ21-700 in 2008.