China's regional jetliner in mass production

Photo taken on Oct. 14, 2017 shows staff workers maintaining the ARJ21-700 jetliner at Shengli Airport in Dongying of east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

China's first domestic regional jetliner ARJ21-700 was delivered Thursday after its mass production was certified in July.

The ARJ21-700 jetliner has 90 economy seats and was bought by China Aerospace Leasing Company, and delivered to Chengdu Airlines.

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) obtained a production license to build the airliner from the General Administration of Civil Aviation.

COMAC has received orders for 433 of the jetliners from 20 clients so far. The company plans to deliver five ARJ21-700 jetliners by the end of the year.

China has in recent years sped up efforts to build its commercial aircraft. Besides the ARJ21-700, COMAC has also made the larger C919 jet, a narrow-body jumbo designed to rival the updated Airbus A320 and the new Boeing B737.

It has also set up a joint venture with a Russian state company to build wide-body passenger jets.