New plane factory planned for China

Commercial Aircraft of China plans to build an assembly line for its homegrown C919 jetliners in Shanghai, the latest step in the country’s ambitions to become a leader in world aviation.

The company announced the showcase project following a signing ceremony with officials of Shanghai’s Pudong district, where the factory will be located.

China is counting on the narrow-body, single-aisle C919, China’s newest and biggest homegrown commercial jetliner, to compete against Western rivals in the high-stakes international aviation market.

Construction of the factory is to begin soon, with capacity to reach 20 C919s and 50 ARJ 21-series regional jets by 2016, the company, which is also known as Comac, said in a statement.