Source: WCARN
Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) today announced a total of 185 orders for its new generation Modern Ark 700 (MA700) turboprop regional aircraft at a media conference held in Xi'an, marking a new milestone in the development of MA700 project.
The state-owned manufacturer on Tuesday signed purchase agreements for 185 MA700s with 11 customers at home and abroad, including Joy Air, Okay Airways, Cambodia Bayon Airlines, China Development Bank Leasing, CMB Financial Leasing, Chongqing General Aviation Financial Leasing, Poly Technologies Inc., Air Avenues, EGA Group, Hybrid Aviation and Segers Aero.
Meanwhile, many other airlines and aircraft leasing companies attended the ceremony and expressed their interests to the 70-seat turboprop regional aircraft, such as Air China (CA), China Southern Airlines (CZ), China Eastern Airlines (MU), Hainan Airlines (MU), Sichuan Airlines (3U), Spring Airlines (9C), Hebei Airlines (NS), China Express Airlines (G5), Hong Kong Airlines, First Air, Lao Airlines and ICBC Leasing, BOC Aviation and etc.
The MA700 aircraft, designed for short and medium haul range, will adopt modern green aviation technologies, aiming at gaining airworthiness certificate authorized by both the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Dong Jianhong, chief designer of the aircraft of MA700 project, said that the next-generation MA-700 turboprop will serve regional air transportation within an 800-km range and be able to fly at high altitudes and in high temperatures.
Dong says the target is for the MA700 to take its first flight in 2017 after its final assembly in 2016, and be certificated by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in 2019. Thereafter, it will also seek certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration - making it the first Chinese-made turboprop to apply for western certification.
What's more, the Chinese airframer will develop 50-seat and 90-seat variants of MA700s to meet different market demands.
Expected to enter service in 2019, the 70-seats MA700 joins the C919 and ARJ21 as a member of China's trio of new-generation indigenous airplane projects, to complete Chinese civil aircraft pedigree and make contribution to the development of Chinese civil aviation industry.
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