Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, which is expanding
production facilities for its C919 narrowbody jets, has sketched out
preliminary designs for the new aircraft, according to the report published
late on Monday.
It would be many years before the early concepts materialise
into a testable prototype, according to the report, which also did not provide
specific details on the proposed plane.
The new jet would expand commercial operations for COMAC
amid ambitions by Beijing to take market share from industry leaders Airbus and
Boeing.
The C919 has so far gained more than 1,000 orders, but
mostly from Chinese airlines and aircraft lessors including China Eastern
Airlines, the first user of the jet.
COMAC's other in-development widebody plane, the C929, is
designed to travel international routes of up to 12,000 km (7,500 miles). It is
speculated to be on par with some aspects of mainstream competitors like
Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, a second source said according to the report, adding
that progress was "in full swing".
China has said it wants to secure broader international
recognition for the C919 this year. Last year, government-backed media The
Paper said China expected to reach annual production capacity of 150 C919s in
five years.
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