China's MA700 to take flight in 2016

China's Modern Ark 60 (MA60) passenger aircraft has seen limited success in the international market over the past seven years, but with the new MA700 scheduled to roar into the skies in 2016, the country hopes to become a leading turboprop aircraft manufacturer, said China's aviation industry authorities Thursday.

MA60s now fly 260 routes for more than 20 foreign airlines from 14 countries, Chen Fusheng, vice president of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC)'s Aircraft Corporation Ltd, told the Global Times on the third day of Airshow China 2012 in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.

It takes 20 years and a total of about 800 orders internationally for a regional aircraft to become a mainstream product, while the MA60 only entered the international market in 2005 and just 76 have been sold overseas, he said.

"We deliver about 10 to 15 MA60s a year, about half the world's total of 50-60 seat class turboprops," said Chen, noting that a total of about 130 regional turboprops are delivered worldwide annually, with the larger 70 seat class turboprops delivered mainly by French manufacturer ATR and Canadian Bombardier.

Aiming to become the world's leading regional turboprop aircraft provider, AVIC's Xi'an Aircraft International Corporation (XAIC), the developer of the MA60, has begun development on the 70 seat class MA700 project.

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