China aircraft maker to promote new generation planes at air show

BEIJING - The Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) will promote its new generation aircraft at China's upcoming aerospace trade show, the aircraft manufacturer said Thursday.

The company's heavy transport aircraft Y-20 and stealth fighter J-31, the major models in the new series, will be demonstrated at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which opens on Nov. 1 in the southern port city of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.

The new planes represent AVIC's advances toward the fourth generation of aircraft technology, the company said.

In June, the first two Y-20 planes were delivered to the People's Liberation Army Air Force after nearly a decade of design, manufacture and test flights. With a maximum takeoff weight of around 200 tonnes, the large freighter plane is ideal for transporting cargo and people over long distances in diverse weather conditions.

As a major aerospace and defence company in China, AVIC has developed a series of advanced fighters, helicopters and airborne early warning aircraft, and exported many models.

The six-day air show has been held in Zhuhai every two years since 1996.