China's aviation experts have started to discuss the feasibility of the country's large airplane manufacturing program, something which indicated it had entered an advanced stage of researching and manufacturing the large aircraft.

The feasibility demonstration of the program includes the overall technology plan, types of airplanes, customer service and production scale, said a China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I) expert who declined to be named.

Discussions will also focus on the the large aircraft program's airworthiness certificate, market prospects, human resources, airborne equipment, composite materials and financing.

The feasibility was expected to take six months, the source said.

Experts from the AVIC I and China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II) were asked to make all-out efforts for the work. At present, nearly 200 researchers planned to participate in the feasibility work.

China's first large passenger aircraft company, a major part of the nation's large jet program, was officially inaugurated in Shanghai on May 11.

The newly-established company, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (CACC), will be responsible for researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing the homegrown aircraft.

The CACC establishment was approved in February 2007 by the State Council, China's Cabinet. This was to make the country capable of building aircraft with a take-off weight of more than 100 tonnes, or planes with more than 150 seats.

It is widely regarded the CACC's first large aircraft will roll off the production line by 2020.

(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2008)