COMAC: Four leasing companies order 130 C919 aircraft

The manufacturer of China's domestically produced C919 aircraft announced its largest order since the plane's maiden flight in May, as four leasing companies signed orders for 130 units, taking total orders to 730.

Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) announced the deal at the ongoing 17th Aviation Expo China, which started in Beijing on Tuesday.

The biggest order was from a leasing company under China Nuclear E&C Group, which has confirmed 20 orders and intends to buy an additional 20 planes, followed by Huabao Leasing and AVIC International Leasing, each of which placed 15 firm orders with options for 15 more.

Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) Financial Leasing was the first to order more after the successful maiden flight in May. The company said it ordered 20 C919 aircraft and intends to order 10 more.

Wang Yigang, chairman of ABC Financial Leasing, told reporters on the sidelines of the expo that the down payment for each plane is about 500,000 yuan ($75,953) and he hopes the company will have more orders depending on the plane's market performance.

So far, 27 domestic and foreign clients have announced plans to buy the C919.

COMAC said the second version of the C919 is scheduled to complete its maiden flight by the end of this year.

The company said it plans to deliver more than five ARJ21 to the clients this year.

COMAC added that the assembly of the China-Russia long-range wide-body passenger jet, a strategic cooperation project, will be finished in Shanghai, and that its systemic preliminary technology will be completed by the end of this year.

Dang Tiehong, COMAC's deputy general manager for sales and marketing, also told reporters at the expo that global suppliers will be able to bid on all systems within the wide-body passenger aircraft.

COMAC signed a joint venture contract with its Russian partner for the long-range aircraft in June 2016.