China's first next-generation turboprop passenger aircraft - so versatile that it can safely land on snow - yesterday rolled off the production line in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province.

The Xinzhou 600, or Modern Ark 600, is the updated version of the Modern Ark 60 developed by the Xi'an assembly plant of the China Aviation Industry Co 1.

It is able to take off or land on a runway between 1,200 meters and 2,000 meters long and has an extended flight range of two hours, which lengthens its total voyage capability to 3,000 kilometers in one hop.

The 60-seat MA600 was 300 kilograms lighter than the MA60, making it 40 percent more fuel-efficient than turbofan-powered aircraft, Meng Xiangkai, president of the Xi'an Aircraft Industry (Group) Company Ltd, told Xinhua news agency.

Improvements were also made in the power system and cabin design.

It performed well on soil, sandstone or even snow-covered fields, according to aviation experts.

The MA600's maiden flight was expected in September, said Chen Fusheng, a senior official from the civil aviation department of AVIC 1.

The turboprop should enter the market in the secondhalf of next year and reach an annual capacity of 10to 15 between 2010 and 2012, Chen said.

It would become a pillar of China's civil-aviation industry with a demand for more than 300 worldwide in the next decade, he added.

About 120-150 of the planes will serve domestic clients.

The research and development of the 70-seat MA700 was also underway, Lin Zuomin, head of the preparation group for the China Aviation Industry Group Corporation, announced yesterday at the Xi'an plant.

The debut of the Modern Ark 700 would expand sales in Europe and North America, Chen said.

It would prove competitive on the global market with the most advanced turboprops from Italian-French firm ATR and Canada's Bombardier Inc, Chen said.

A total of 1,900 turboprops will be sold around the world in the next 20 years, authorities predicted.

Turbo-propeller regional aircraft are commonly used on short- and medium-range flights.

Nearly half of the regional jets flying in Europe and North America are turbo-propelled. The demand for the relatively environment-friendly aircraft is expected to rise as global oil prices surge.

The AVIC 1 had its annual income last year surge 24 percent to 100 billion yuan (US$14.57 billion), with a profit of more than 5 billion yuan.

The corporation is reported to have four types of engines under development.

China launched its first home-grown passenger jet, the ARJ21 (Xiangfeng, or Auspicious Phoenix) in Shanghai at the end of last year and its maiden flight was in March.

The plane is due for delivery to customers by September next year.

The project, costing six billion yuan, dates back to early 2005 and is seen as the precursor to China building its own big passenger jets.