AVIC I COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT COMPANY

PARTICIPATING COMPANIES:

- Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAC)
- Shanghai Aircraft Research Institute (SARI)
- Shanghai Aircraft Industry Company (SAIC)
- Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC)
- Xian Aircraft Design and Research Institute (XADRI)
- Xian Aircraft Company (XAC)

Six Chinese organisations formed a consortium in 1998 to study the prospects of launching, with risk-sharing foreign industrial partners, a programme for a new regional jet in the 70-seat class. Initial concepts were focused on 58-seat (NRJ 58) and 76-seat (NRJ 76) variants. However, the latter project received the designation ARJ21 (Advanced Regional Jet, 21st Century) in 2001 and State Council approval in June 2002; ACAC formed in October 2002 to manage this programme.