China's aviation experts have started to discuss the feasibility of its large airplane manufacturing program, a move that indicated it had entered an advanced stage of research.

The feasibility demonstration of the program includes the overall technology plan, types of airplanes, customer service and production scale, said a China Aviation Industry Corporation I expert who declined to be named.

Discussions will also focus on airworthiness certificates, market prospects, human resources, airborne equipment, composite materials and financing.

The study was likely to take six months, the source said.

Experts from the AVIC I and China Aviation Industry Corporation II were involved. Nearly 200 researchers are due to take part in the study.

China's first large passenger aircraft company was officially inaugurated in Shanghai on May 11.

The newly-established Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd will be responsible for researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing the homegrown aircraft.