China signed its biggest aircraft export agreement, in terms of both number of jets and contract value, on Tuesday at the 7th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai City of southern Guangdong Province.

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) will sell 25 ARJ21-700 regional jets to GE Commercial Aviation Services of the United States.

Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang, who announced the opening of the six-day airshow, attended the signing ceremony of the sales contract.

The deal is valued at 5 billion yuan (US$733.1 million).The first jet will be delivered in 2013 and then another will be delivered every month after.

COMAC Chairman Zhang Qingwei told Xinhua this was the first time Chinese-developed and manufactured regional jets have entered western airline markets.

Roger N. Seager, vice president of the GE Commercial Aviation Services, said his company was confident in the ARJ21 aircraft, China's aviation market and the Chinese economy at large.

ARJ21 (Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century) was developed independently by China. It has between 78-90 seats and a standard full-passenger flight can go 2,225 kilometers.

The regional jet will make its maiden flight in Shanghai within this month.

A total of 206 ARJ21-700s have been so far ordered.

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2008)