Wang said the planes' maiden flights are scheduled to take place between the end of 2014 and the middle of 2015, before hitting the market around 2016. The appearance and shape of the planes "will be the same as that seen in the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737", said the experts.

 

The initial plan is for the basic jumbo jet model to accommodate 168 seats, and mixed models 156 seats. The arrangement can also be adjusted in accordance with airlines' requirements. The planes are designed with an expected economic life of 90,000 flight hours, i.e. 30 years with an average of eight hours flight per day.

 

Wang also mentioned that a confirmed 30 percent of the jumbo jets' parts and components will be produced locally. Generally speaking, the target market of the jumbo jets is "to become established in the domestic market and meanwhile aim for the international market." They will attempt to exceed the market's mainstream models – the Airbus A320 and the Boeing B737 – in terms of overall competitiveness, and not lag behind the successors of the A320 and B737 in terms of technology.