All 76 Cirrus SR20 planes assembled by Zhuhai-based China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA) have been test-flown and, upon acceptance, will be delivered to Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC) in Sichuan Province.

As of Nov 2, the 76 planes had logged 199 flying days, 372 sorties, 542 takeoffs and landings, and more than 460 flying hours at Zhuhai (Jinwan) Airport which, along with CAIGA, is in Zhuhai Aviation Industrial Park of Jinwan District.

Cirrus SR20 planes at a CAIGA hangar in Zhuhai [Photo by Zhang Zhou / Zhuhai Daily]

CAFUC is the only full-time higher education institution for civil aviation pilots, technicians, and professionals in engineering, management, and arts, under the direct authority of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. It will use the SR20-2691H aircraft in pilot training at its four airports in Sichuan and one in Henan Province.

Assembly began in early 2020, but was postponed due global supply hang-ups caused by to the COVID-19 pandemic. CAIGA, however, continued upgrading production and testing efficiency, and completed the orders on schedule.

The SR20 single-engine aircraft is considered one of the safest pilot trainers in the world. It has a modernized Lycoming IO-390, 215HP power plant and durable all-composite structure with the signature Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). 

Cirrus Aircraft (originally Cirrus Design Corp) is the world's second-largest general-purpose airplane producer. It was acquired by CAIGA as a wholly owned subsidiary in 2011. The Zhuhai base opened assembly lines of Cirrus Aircraft in 2012 and obtained a production certificate in November 2018.