国内英语新闻:China launches assembly center for large aircraft program

SHANGHAI, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC) unveiled its manufacturing and assembling center here Saturday, the latest step towards the goal to manufacture China's homegrown large aircraft.

    The Final Assembly Center of the COMAC was based on the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co., with a registered capital of two billion yuan (292.7 million U.S. dollars), said COMAC's general manager Jin Zhuanglong.

People attend the inauguration ceremony of the Final Assembly Center of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd (COMAC) in Shanghai, east China, June 6, 2009.

It was one of the COMAC's three key entities which were responsible for aircraft design, manufacturing and service.

    Jin said the Final Assembly Center's new base in Shanghai's Pudong area will be constructed within this year.

    By 2010, the center will be able to produce 30 ARJ21-700 model planes a year, and the capacity will be expanded to 50 jets by 2012, Jin said.

People attend the inauguration ceremony of the Final Assembly Center of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd (COMAC) in Shanghai, east China, June 6, 2009.

The ARJ21, an acronym for "Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century," is the first regional jet that China has fully developed independently, in accordance with the standards set by General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (GACAC), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA).

    The Shanghai-headquartered COMAC has launched its design and research center, based on the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute, and a customer service center.

    The latter provides aircraft maintenance and repair, pilot training, aviation equipment and materials leasing and consulting for aviation technologies for both large planes and regional aircraft.

An ARJ21 (Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century) plane is assembled at Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd in Shanghai, east China, June 6, 2009