First joint US-Taiwan business jet to be delivered by end of year

September 5, 2005

Having wrapped up durability and ice testing in early August, Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp. expects to deliver its first SJ30-2 Twin Engine Light Business Jet by the end of the year, according to the MOEA Industrial Development Bureau. SSAC is a Taiwan-US joint venture established in 1995 by an MOEA-organized Taiwanese consortium and the Swearingen Aircraft Corp. of San Antonio, Texas. IDB director-general Chen Chao-yi sits on the aircraft maker's board of directors.

With a top speed of 560 miles per hour and a maximum range of 2,500 nautical miles, the SJ30-2 is the world's fastest and longest range light business jet. The luxury jet, which can seat seven including the pilot, is capable of flying non-stop from New York east to London and Paris or west to Los Angeles.

Notably, SSAC is the first new company in 35 years to be issued final TIA (Type Inspection Authorizations) for a twin-jet aircraft by the United States Federal Aviation Administration.

The aircraft maker already has orders on its books for 190 of the private luxury aircraft, which has a sticker price of USD 6 million.

As only an additional 150 hours of flight testing remain to be completed, SSAC expects to present the plane to the US FAA for final certification in the coming months and make its first delivery by the end of the year.

Sino Swearingen will initially manufacture the SJ30-2 in the United States. However, in the future the airplane maker plans to shift production of most of the aircraft's parts and components to Taiwan and ship them to the United States for final assembly.

(Central News Agency)

E-mail this page.