BEIJING – China has revealed further details of its plans to challenge Boeing and Airbus by manufacturing its own large aircraft.
Officials say the first home-made jumbo jet will take to the skies no later than 2015.
The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd was set up in May to handle the plane’s assembly, marketing and after-sales service with an initial investment of US$2.8 billion.
Miao Wei, vice-minister of industry and information technology, said at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Forum 2008 yesterday that China-made jumbo jets would be on the market between 2015 and 2020.
“We will finish the concept design and research on key technologies before 2010, and have the first plane roll off the production line before 2014,” he said.
Miao said he had confidence in China’s demand for new planes.
“In the next 10 years, China will need at least 1,000 new planes,” he said.
