The AS700, the largest airship China has developed, received its production certificate on Tuesday from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, paving the way for its delivery. At an issuance ceremony in Jingmen, Hubei province, home to the aircraft's manufacturing complex, a representative from the CAAC Central and Southern Regional Administration conferred the certificate to the AS700 project team, according to the Aviation Industry Corp of China, the developer of the airship and the country's leading aircraft manufacturer.

This marks a new milestone for the AS700 program, following its receipt of the type certificate in December 2023, with the model's commercial operation being greenlit, AVIC said in a news release. The AS700's prototypes have conducted 187 test flights totaling 602 hours, the company noted.

Research and development of the AS700 began in August 2018 at the Special Aircraft Research Institute, an AVIC subsidiary in Jingmen, primarily to meet the demand for aerial sightseeing tours. Propelled by piston engines, the airship has a maximum takeoff weight of 4.15 metric tons, a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour, and a flight ceiling of 3.1 km. It can carry one pilot and nine tourists, has a maximum flight range of 700 km and an endurance of up to 10 hours. It is the first manned airship in the country to be domestically certified.

In addition to aerial tourism, the AS700 is suitable for a wide range of operations that include mineral prospecting, marine surveillance, police patrols, cargo transport, and emergency rescue, according to its designers. An AS700 was delivered to the Taicang Cultural Tourism Development Group, a State-owned travel agency in Jiangsu province, on Tuesday to begin aerial sightseeing operations. According to AVIC, it has received confirmed orders for 42 AS700 aircraft.