11-05-2008 ZHUHAI, Guangdong, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) — China signed its biggest aircraft export deal, in terms of the number of jets and contract value, on Tuesday at the 7th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition here. The Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) will sell 25 ARJ21-700 regional jets to GE Commercial Aviation Services of the United States. The deal is valued at 5 billion yuan (733 million US dollars). The first jet will be delivered in 2013, with one per month thereafter. COMAC Chairman Zhang Qingwei told Xinhua this was the first time Chinese-developed and manufactured regional jets have entered Western airline markets. “This is an important opportunity. We are exploring China’s own way of building jumbo planes,” said Zhang. Roger N. Seager, vice president of the GE Commercial Aviation Services, said his company was confident in the ARJ21 aircraft, China’s aviation market and the Chinese economy at large. “In the global economic downturn, financing is a main difficulty of all companies. Our investment in the ARJ21 shows our confidence in the manufacturer and the Chinese market,” Seager told Xinhua. Seager said more clients have shown an interest in the ARJ21. “Some customers of GE Aviation have already expressed interest. I can’t tell you the names but there are Chinese customers, and European and American customers as well.” Embraer of Brazil, a major regional jet plane manufacturer on the international market, hailed the success of its …

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