- What is microRNA? Nobel-winning discovery explained
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Drowned by hurricane, remote N.Carolina towns now struggle for water
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
- Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
- Oil extends gains, jobs report lifts Wall Street
- US hiring soars past expectations in sign of resilient market
- As EU targets Chinese cars, European rivals sputter
- Top EU court finds against FIFA in key transfer market ruling
- Oil extends gains, Hong Kong stocks resume rally
- 'A man provides': Ukrainian miners send families away as Russia advances
- EU states greenlight extra tariffs on EVs from China
- Hong Kong stocks resume rally, oil dips after Middle East-fuelled surge
- Crude stable after Israel-Iran surge, Hong Kong stocks resume gains
- Hera spacecraft to probe asteroid deflected by defence test
- US dockworkers to head back to work after tentative deal
- After Helene's destruction, North Carolina starts to rebuild
- Dockers end three-day strike at Montreal port
- What next for OpenAI after $157 billion bonanza?
- Israel-Hamas war causes 86-percent dive in Gaza GDP: IMF
- Milan's Morata moves house after Inter-fan town mayor 'violates' privacy
- 'Devastating' storm hits Augusta National but Masters will go on
- Relief in Brazil, Asia over delay to EU deforestation rules
- Oil prices jump, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- Biden says 'discussing' possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities
- Oil prices rise, stocks fall on Middle East tensions
- Oil rallies, stocks mostly retreat on Middle East tensions
- Phasing out teen smoking could save 1.2 mn lives: study
- 'Welcome relief': Asia producers hail EU deforestation law delay
- Japan PM slated to announce plans for 'happiness index'
- Turkish inflation falls less than expected in September at 49.4%
- Easing inflation lifts profit at UK supermarket Tesco
CMSC | -0.02% | 24.695 | $ | |
RBGPF | -1.16% | 60.1 | $ | |
RYCEF | -1.16% | 6.9 | $ | |
RELX | -0.83% | 45.91 | $ | |
VOD | 0% | 9.66 | $ | |
SCS | -1.41% | 12.79 | $ | |
GSK | 0.6% | 39.055 | $ | |
NGG | -0.88% | 65.92 | $ | |
BTI | -0.18% | 35.225 | $ | |
RIO | -0.19% | 69.57 | $ | |
AZN | -0.12% | 77.375 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.13% | 24.78 | $ | |
BCC | -1.29% | 137.125 | $ | |
BCE | -0.14% | 33.662 | $ | |
JRI | -0.16% | 13.259 | $ | |
BP | 0.78% | 33.14 | $ |
China unveils new orders for homegrown passenger jet
China announced Wednesday hundreds of new orders for its first domestically manufactured large passenger jet, with the aircraft poised to make its commercial debut early next year.
The state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) said it had sealed orders for 300 of the narrow-body C919 at a major airshow on Tuesday.
The announcement did not clarify whether the orders had been fully confirmed, and gave no details about the value of the deals or expected delivery dates.
If the orders go through, it would take the number of known deals for the C919 to more than 1,100, based on figures from previous COMAC statements.
Authorities hope the C919 -- the country's first homegrown jetliner with mass commercial potential -- will challenge foreign models like the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320.
Beijing also anticipates that the aircraft will help reduce the country's reliance on foreign technology amid testy ties with Western countries -- though most of the plane's parts are sourced from abroad.
COMAC said it had reached agreements with seven leasing firms for a combined 330 aircraft, including 30 of the C919's predecessor, the ARJ21 regional jet, which came into operation in 2008.
The orders "fully expressed the confidence of our leasing partners" in the two models, COMAC said.
The company showed off the C919 on Tuesday at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.
The sleek aircraft taxied down a runway in the southern city of Zhuhai before soaring into the skies in front of hundreds of onlookers.
Few details of existing orders for the C919 have been disclosed.
But domestic media have reported that four aircraft are expected to be delivered to China Eastern Airlines -- the country's second-largest carrier by passenger numbers -- by the end of this year, and go into operation in the first quarter of 2023.
China sealed a deal for Airbus jets worth $17 billion earlier this year.
The company began producing its A321 model in the eastern city of Tianjin on Wednesday with a view to making deliveries early next year, according to Xinhua.
The state-owned news agency quoted Airbus China CEO George Xu as saying the move displayed the company's "unwavering support for the Chinese market".
The Boeing 737 MAX has been grounded in China since 2019 after two fatal crashes, though Boeing said in July that it may be approved for delivery by Chinese regulators this year.
But lingering US-China trade tensions and China's worst commercial air disaster earlier this year involving a Boeing 737-800 have slowed progress.
H.Cho--CPN