GE places order for Chinese ARJ 21-700
GE Commercial Aircraft Services (GECAS), the aircraft leasing arm of General Electric, has agreed to purchase five (5) ARJ 21-700 regional airliners from Chinese aircraft manufacturer AVIC I Commercial Aircraft (ACAC). The deal also includes options to buy twenty (20) more of the jetliners. AVIC I unveiled the locally designed and produced ARJ 21, or the “Flying Phoenix,” last December and commercial deliveries have been promised from the third quarter of 2009. However, it was recently announced that the maiden flight of the ARJ 21-700 would be delayed by six months because some of the program’s key suppliers need to complete equipment testing to meet the requirements of the manufacturer. ACAC had originally planned to conduct the aircraft’s first flight in March but ACAC president, Luo Ronghuai, said in a statement, “We are disappointed with this delay and we expect to fly the ARJ21-700 in September or October.”