CHINA will deliver eight private business aircraft to Laos next year as it seeks to find a niche in the global aviation market.

The Xiaoying 500, or "Eaglet 500", passed seat and restraint systems testing yesterday, indicating the first China-made light aircraft had met international standards and was ready for export, said sources in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province.

The single-engine, five-seater aircraft was jointly developed by domestic institutions, including the Shijiazhuang Aircraft Industry Co in Hebei Province, the Xi'an-based No. 1 Aircraft Designing Institute affiliated to China Aviation Industry Corp, and the Civil Aviation Flight Institute.

It was granted an airworthiness certificate by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in 2005.

The aircraft has a speed of 300 kilometers per hour and can reach an altitude of 4,200 meters.

It could take off and land from small airports, said Cui Bingfeng, a press official with the design institute.

The Xiaoying 500 sells for 2.2 million to 2.9 million yuan (US$322,182 to US$424,694) each, at least 20 percent cheaper than similar products on the international market, he said.

 Source: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=423408&type=Business#ixzz0aTbdasP1