The Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp (SSAC), a Taiwanese-US joint venture, which is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, announced on Friday that its SJ30-2 commercial aircraft has recently received a key certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
By securing the FAA license documentation, SSAC Chairman Kuo Ching-chiang (郭清江) said, the company can now start volume production of this brand new commercial airliner.
It marks the first time in nearly 42 years that the FAA has issued such a certificate to a new type of commercial aircraft designed by a brand new aircraft company, Kuo said.
"The acquisition of the license is of great significance to Sino Swearingen, as it will help bring many more business opportunities to the company," Kuo said, adding that the federal certification also marks a new milestone in the development of Taiwan's aviation industry.
SSAC has received orders for 280 SJ30-2s from the US, Canada, Britain, Switzerland, and Germany, Kuo said, adding that the company is scheduled to deliver the first airliner to a client next spring.
Noting that Taiwan holds a more than 95 percent stake in SSAC, Kuo said that the company has established a viable model of using Taiwanese capital and US technology to upgrade Taiwan's aviation industry.
SSAC senior vice president Alfred Baumbusch said that the SJ30-2 is a high-performance commercial airliner capable of flying a distance of 4,600km without refueling.
"The SJ30-2 is the world's fastest and best performing light business jet at the world's best value. It has a high speed cruise speed above Mach 0.83. Equally important is its long range cruising speed of Mach 0.78 -- faster than many jets' `high speed cruising speed,'" he added.
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