Comac has indicated that the company’s plan for the ARJ21 program is to have the aircraft certified in 2014 with first delivery to Chengdu Airlines by the end of that year.
Comac revealed at the Aviation Expo in Beijing that the ARJ21 had recently completed tests for the emergency release of the aircraft’s landing gear, a long term issue for the program.
Comac has four ARJ21 aircraft undergoing testing have they have have completed more than 2,000 flights totalling some 4,000 hours. Comac indicated that approximately 70 percent of the flight test program is complete.
Progress on the ARJ21 was slowed by problems in development as well as certification. First delivery was originally scheduled for 2007 but has been pushed back many times in the past. Comac has orders for 252 aircraft, mainly from Chinese airlines and leasing companies. During the Beijing Aviation Expo, there were four ARJ21 aircraft in four different configurations on the display flight line.
