Gallery: Paris 2017-Chinese and Russian airliners on display

The joint venture company established to develop the widebody is called China-Russia Aircraft International Corp. (CRAIC), and is registered in Shanghai.

UAC and COMAC engineers have been working on the concept since 2013.

The basic version of the aircraft would carry 280 passengers over 12,000 km (7,500 mi.), making it somewhat comparable to the Airbus A330-900, but with a wider body for nine-abreast economy seating. Shorter and longer versions, seating 230 and 320 passengers, respectively, are also planned, but their development will depend on demand.

This model of a commercial widebody concept, so far known only as the long-range widebody, was on display on COMAC’s booth. Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) and China’s COMAC have launched full-scale development for the aircraft, setting up a joint company in Shanghai with the aim of delivering the first aircraft no later than 2027.

Also on the COMAC stand is this model of its C919 narrowbody, which made its maiden flight May 5. The CFM Leap 1C-powered C919 is designed to seat 158 passengers in a standard two-class configuration.

On the AVIC stand there is a model of the MA700, the Chinese regional turboprop that is a stretched version of the 60-seat MA600, which entered the market in 2013.

On the Russian side, and in the Paris static park, was a Sukhoi SuperJet 100 operated by Mexican low-cost carrier Interjet, one of the largest SSJ100 customers along with Aeroflot.

Visitors could see the SSJ100 cockpit.

Sukhoi parent company United Aircraft Corp. will make a decision on whether to go ahead with a stretch of the SSJ100—a 130-seat variant dubbed the SSJ100NG—by the end of this year, UAC president Yury Slusar said at the Paris Air Show.