The ARJ21-700 jetliner, China's first self designed aircraft, will undertake its maiden flight before the end of the year.

The news was announced at the launching ceremony of the Shanghai Aircraft Customer Service Centre, the first of its kind for civil aircraft.

As a branch of the "Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China", or COMAC, which was inaugurated in May, the launch of the service center is another step forward in making, owning and servicing China's home made jetliners.

Xu Jun, deputy head of the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory, also a branch of COMAC, introduced the factory's blueprint.

"We plan to manufacture fifty regional jets, fifty 150-seat main line jets, and fifty 250-seat jets annually. Meanwhile we hope we can repair 30 different kinds of jets each year."
COMAC chairman, Zhang Qingwei says this first homegrown regional jet has aroused great interest from aviation companies at home and abroad.

"I just came back from the United States and Canada. Many companies are interested in this jet. 25 jets of this kind are expected to appear in the 2008 Air Show to be held next month in Zhu Hai, a city of south China's Guangdong Province. We also plan to develop our markets in Europe and America."