CRI听力：China Inaugurates Homegrown Jet

Anchor:
China's first fully homegrown commercial aircraft has been rolled out, marking a potential milestone for the country's aviation program.

Commercial sales of the regional jet could open a potentially lucrative market to China's aviation industry, both domestically and in terms of exports, particularly to other developing countries.

CRI Reporter Chen Xi has the details.

Reporter:
The ARJ-21, known as the "Flying Phoenix", will be able to seat up to 90 people and has a range of 2,300 miles. It is expected to make its maiden flight in March and then go into mass production in 2009.

The plane was shown to the public at the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory. Its general designer, Wu Guanghui, expressed his happiness with the development of the aircraft at the rollout ceremony.

"I think everyone here is very excited. The ARJ-21 indicates that we have the capacity to design and produce airplanes in China. However, there are still a couple of issues for us in the future, such as the trial flight, which needs to meet the designated indices according to the original design."

He added that the ARJ-21 will makes China part of the global civil aviation industry, but warned that it still faces some tough tests if it is to become a commercial and financial success.

With air travel in China booming, the government is keen to develop a competitive domestic manufacturer of civilian aircraft. It is estimated that the country will require around 900 medium-sized jets over the next 20 years as it caters for the growing number of people for whom flying has become an affordable means of travel.

The manufacturer says it expects the ARJ-21 to grab up to 60 percent of the domestic market for mid-size regional airliners over the next two decades.

The new plane has also attracted the attention of global airplane giants.

Pierre Beaudoin is President and Chief Executive Officer of Canada's Bombardier Aerospace.

"I think the ARJ-21 is getting a great market and developing a regional aircraft market in China. I think this is a market has not been discovered in China."

Chen Xi, CRI News