(Yicai Global) March 12 -- The GA20, China's first general-purpose aircraft independently researched and developed by a private company, has completed its safety flight testing.

The airplane is expected to obtain certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China and start commercialization in 2020, realizing mass production by 2021 after the successful in-air safety checks at Hengdian Airport in China's southeastern Zhejiang province.

The GA20 was developed and produced by Shanghai-based Guanyi General Aviation, which concluded stall, stability and maneuverability tests in yesterday's technical flight, Chinese state media The Paper reported.

The purpose of such tests is to gain data to verify an airplane's safety, stability and manipulability. It is thus an indispensable phase in aircraft development.

The project to develop the plane started in 2015. A single-engine four-seat fixed-wing craft, the GA20 is China's first airplane produced by a private enterprise that meets international general aviation standards. Guanyi will produce five GA20s for flight testing before obtaining certification for the model, to complete 200 to 300 more safety checks.

The plane will mainly find use in flight training, private flights and travel, Guanyi's Chairman Zhu Songhua said, adding the company will produce 20 GA20s for commercial use after obtaining certification next year, per Guanyi's plan, with 60 to made in 2021 and over 100 in 2022.

The company is also developing three other aircraft models, Zhu said. It will be able to debut a new one every two to three years to meet market demand after the GA20 secures certification.

Editor: Ben Armour