Powered by GE's CF34-10A, the first Chinese regional jet developed by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) called the ARJ21-700 aircraft has received the Type Certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) today in Beijing, paving the way for the aircraft's entry into service.

COMAC launched the ARJ21 program in 2002 and selected CF34-10A engine to power the aircraft in the same year. Since then, GE and COMAC have been collaborating closely during the aircraft's detailed design and the aircraft/engine integration phases. The aircraft took the maiden flight in November 2008 and completed all the required certification test programs this month. COMAC has announced 278 orders of the ARJ21 regional jet aircraft.

"This certification is a monumental achievement for COMAC, and GE is honored to play a significant role in the ARJ21 aircraft program,”," said David Joyce, President and CEO of GE Aviation. "GE and COMAC have developed a strong relationship working on this program. Our team is proud to be more than a strategic participant in the development of China's aviation industry."

GE began working with Chinese aviation industry in 1985, when the first CFM56*-powered Boeing 737-300 entered service in China. Since then, GE has been expanding the cooperation with Chinese airlines as well as the manufacturers. Apart from the ARJ21 aircraft, GE and its subsidiary company CFM (a 50/50 joint venture with SNECMA, Safran Group) also deeply involved in COMAC's first big commercial aircraft C919 to provide the integrated propulsion systems and also the avionics systems developed by AVIAGE SYSTEMS, a 50/50 join company between GE and AVIC. For the past few years, GE has been recognized as COMAC's supplier of the year.

The CF34-10A engine, which is part of GE's CF34 family that helped launch for the regional jet segment, was certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in July 2010. The advanced technology of the CF34-10A is ideally suited to the design requirement of the ARJ21 aircraft, and meets the demanding conditions of China's diverse environment, specifically the hot temperature and high altitude conditions experienced on many routes in Western China. The engine will provide the thrust capability to meet aircraft performance requirements and also offer customers low-cost operations with a highly reliable, easily maintainable propulsion system.

Based on the CF34-10E engine, the key CF34-10A design features include: a wide-chord fan for higher thrust and high tolerance to foreign object damage; 3-D aerodynamic design airfoils in the high-pressure compressor for highly efficient, stall-free operation, as well as better fuel burn and higher exhaust gas temperature margins; a highly durable single annular, low-emissions combustor that meets or surpasses the most stringent emissions standards; and a single-stage high-pressure turbine for lower operating cost.