A COMAC airplane at the Van Don International Airport. (Photo: VNA)Quang Ninh (VNA) – An exhibition to showcase twonew aircraft of the state-owned Commercial AircraftCorporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) kicked off in the northern province of QuangNinh on February 27.
The two narrow-body aircraft, C919 and ARJ21, landed at Van Don International Airport in northern Quang Ninh province one day earlier for their showcase and demonstration at the Comac Airshow until 29.
The C919 is a narrow-body passenger aircraft with a length of nearly 39 metres, a capacity of 168 passengers, and a maximum flight range of 4.075 km. This aircraft seat configuration is similar to the Boeing 737 Max and A320/321 models with a middle aisle and two rows of seats, three on each side. Meanwhile, the ARJ21-700 has a maximum capacity of 90 seats and an operating range of about 3.200 km.
The event saw the participation of representativesfrom the Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, QuangNinh province, Chinese and Vietnamese airlines, as well as representatives fromtravel companies in Quang Ninh.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the provincialPeople’s Committee Cao Tuong Huy emphasised that the event offered an opportunityfor the province as well as Vietnam and China at large to foster aviation andeconomic development collaboration, paving the way for more cooperation betweenthe two countries in the time ahead.
The event would create a premise for the operation ofcommercial flights from China's cities and provinces to Quang Ninh via the Van Don airport and vice versa, he added.
Tan Wan Geng, Chairman of the Board of Directors of COMAC, said that as an important international aviation centre in Southeast Asia,Vietnam is a potential market with rich experiences in aviation operation management.
He expectedthat Van Don - Quang Ninh will be a new starting point for increased exchangesand cooperation between COMAC and Vietnam's aviation industry, stronglypromoting the development of aviation in both countries.
In China, COMAC delivered its first C919 to China Eastern Airlines in December2022 and made its first commercial flight last May.
This aircraft also put China on the list of few countries that can design andproduce their own aircraft, including the US, Canada, Russia, the UK, Franceand Germany./.
