C919 jumbo jet orders reach 235

China.org.cn, March 6, 2012

China's home-made C919 large passenger plane has received a total order of 235 units from both domestic and overseas buyers, said Wu Guanghui, deputy general manager of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC), on Monday.

According to Wu, orders mostly come from domestic buyers, with a few from the United States and southeast Asian countries.

Development for the C919, which is China's first home-made single aisle passenger plane, is well under way, and its first test flight is scheduled for 2014.

In the initial stage, C919 will be powered by advanced LEAP-X1C engines that are installed in Boeing and Airbus aircraft, said Wu.

The engine, jointly developed by General Electric Company and Safran, is able to lower fuel consumption by 13 to 15 percent and cut emissions by 50 percent, said Wu.

Wu disclosed that China has also designed an engine for the plane, coded "Yangtze 1000," which is undergoing certification in Shanghai.

"There will be a choice of two engines for the C919 in the future, and the plane will definitely have a 'Chinese heart'," Wu said.

The C919's most recent order came from BOC Aviation, which placed an order for 20 C919 aircrafts. This deal makes BOC Aviation the eleventh customer of the C919.