ARJ21 deliveries to begin in 2014

Deliveries of the first domestically made regional jetliner, the ARJ21, are expected to start by the end of 2014, after the aircraft passed most of the steps to obtain an airworthiness certificate, an official of the manufacturer said on Wednesday.

"The ARJ21 has already accomplished more than 2,000 test flights with 4,000 hours of flight time, and only some items, such as extreme weather tests, have not been completed yet," said Luo Ronghuai, vice-president of the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd.

The new jetliner will obtain certification in China first and then apply for certifications in other countries, such as the United States. The US Federal Aviation Administration is already taking part in some of the ARJ21's tests.