China's first home-grown regional jet, the ARJ21-700, rolls off the production line at the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory in east China's Shanghai on Dec. 21, 2007. The jet's name, "Xiang Feng," meaning "flying phoenix," was also unveiled in a roll-out ceremony. The name was chosen in a global competition.(Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's first home-grown regional jet, ARJ21-700, rolled off the production line in Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory on Friday afternoon, said a spokesman of the producer.

    The ARJ21 jet's name, "Xiang Feng," meaning "Flying Phoenix" was also unveiled on the roll-out ceremony. The name was chosen in a global competition via the Internet, said a spokesman of the China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I), the jet's designer and producer.

    The first ARJ21-700 jet, powered by a turbofan engine, can carry 90 passengers with a maximum range of 2,000 nautical miles.

    It is planned to make its maiden flight in March and be delivered to the first customers in the third quarter of 2009 after it gets air-worthiness certification in the first half of the same year, said the spokesman.

    AVIC I has received orders for 171 "Xiang Feng" aircraft, of which two are from a Laotian airline company, said the spokesman at the ceremony.

    The latest order for 100 ARJ21 jets were inked on Friday by Shenzhen Airlines based in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. It is the one single largest order that AVIC I have received.

    The manufacturer also received orders for 71 jets from other domestic airline companies, including Shandong Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Shenzhen Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Electric Leasing Co.,Ltd.

    "Some foreign companies show increasing interest in the ARJ21 jets these days. We expect to receive more overseas orders in the first half of next year," said a source with the AVIC I Commercial Aircraft Co., Ltd. on the ceremony.

    The ARJ21, a regional passenger jet with 70 to 110 seats, is the world's first plane designed to take into account to China's natural environment. The plane will be capable of landing and taking off at airports in western China's plateau in high temperatures.

    The ARJ21 program was formally approved by Chinese authorities in 2002, with a first-stage investment of 5 billion yuan (667 million U.S. dollars) from the government.