NEWTOWN, Conn. -- AVIC and Xi'an continue to make progress on their all-new MA700 turboprop airliner. The fabrication of various long-lead items began in December 2017. These included flap structures that are being built at Xi'an and cargo door components at fellow AVIC subsidiary Shenyang. The structural design of the MA700 was finalized by mid-2018.
The baseline model of the MA700 accommodates 66-86 passengers, depending on seating layout. The program schedule calls for first flight in November 2019, with type certification by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in late 2021. Service entry would follow soon thereafter.
AVIC hopes to gain type validation for the MA700 from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and/or the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This would potentially open up sales opportunities for the new aircraft in the large and lucrative markets in the U.S. and Europe.
The principal sales competitors to the MA700 include the ATR 72 and the Bombardier Q400. As of mid-2018, AVIC had received commitments for 185 MA700s from 11 customers. The customers include Chinese regional carriers and leasing outfits, as well as companies in Bahrain, Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, and South Africa. AVIC plans to ramp up the build rate for the MA700 to as many as 50 aircraft per year.
AVIC is considering development of the MA700 into a family of aircraft. Tentative plans call for the baseline, 66-86 passenger version to be followed by a shrunk variant seating 50 passengers, development of which could get underway once the original MA700 is in the air. The 50-seat model would also be available as a 30-seat subvariant, without additional structural modification. Further down the road might be a stretched version seating approximately 90 passengers.
Meanwhile, AVIC and Xi'an continue to market and produce the MA60 and MA600 turboprop airliners. The MA60 is currently in service in 18 countries. The MA600 is an improved version of the MA60, but it has so far not achieved the sales success of its older sibling.
