China's ARJ21 will have its first test flight within two weeks at the earliest.

The ARJ21 is currently waiting for a special airworthiness certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China to start flying.

All inspections of the ARJ21-700 aircraft have been completed, and procedures testing the dynamics of the aircraft have commenced, according to Zhang Qingwei, Board Chairman of China Commercial Aircraft Company.

"After the first test flight, China Commercial Aircraft will arrange four ARJ21 jets for further test flying in order to obtain airworthiness certificates in China and in the US at the earliest possible date, so as to cater to the international market." Said Zhang.

The ARJ21 aircraft has huge market potential.

The future demand for regional jets will increase given their excellent fuel efficiency on short range air routes, according to an annual market forecasting report on the Chinese commercial airplane market released by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

Moreover, from 2008 to 2027, Chinese airlines will need to add 3,815 commercial passenger airplanes of various types to their fleets, constituting 2,822 jumbo jets and 993 regional jets.