China May Start Production Of Twinjet Developed Jointly With Russia In 2021 - Manufacturer

The production of the first Russian-Chinese long-range wide-body aircraft, CR929, may be launched this year, Yang Zhigang, a chief engineer of the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), has said

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2021) The production of the first Russian-Chinese long-range wide-body aircraft, CR929, may be launched this year, Yang Zhigang, a chief engineer of the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), has said.

"Assembly of the first aircraft is expected to begin this year," Yang told The Paper digital newspaper.

According to the COMAC engineer, the start of the CR929's construction means that the entire design phase, including the specific shape, size, material, operation systems and various parts suppliers for the aircraft, is complete and agreed upon by the parties to the project.

In July of last year, Ravil Khakimov, the head of Russian manufacturer Irkut Corporation (part of United Aircraft Corporation), said that deliveries of the CR929 long-range twinjet aircraft may start in 2028 or 2029.

The CR929 passenger jet is currently the largest joint project between Russia and China, with a projected cost of $13-20 billion. The new class of airliners is anticipated to cater to China's booming air-travel market and wean Chinese carriers off dependence on the United States' Boeing and Europe's Airbus.