China aircraft maker to promote new generation planes at air show

The Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC) will promote its new generation aircraft at China's upcoming aerospace trade show, the aircraft manufacturer said Thursday.

The company's heavy transport aircraft Y-20 and stealth fighter J-31, the major models in the new series, will be demonstrated at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which opens on Nov. 1 in the southern port city of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.

The new planes represent AVIC's advances toward the fourth generation of aircraft technology, the company said.

In June, the first two Y-20 planes were delivered to the People's Liberation Army Air Force after nearly a decade of design, manufacture and test flights. With a maximum takeoff weight of around 200 tonnes, the large freighter plane is ideal for transporting cargo and people over long distances in diverse weather conditions.

As a major aerospace and defence company in China, AVIC has developed a series of advanced fighters, helicopters and airborne early warning aircraft, and exported many models.

The six-day air show has been held in Zhuhai every two years since 1996. Endi