On July 28, AC312E, a new light civilian helicopter developed by Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) completed its maiden flight successfully in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, marking a significant milestone in the development history of China's civilian helicopters.

Developed on the basis of AC311A helicopter, AC312E is a 4.2-tonne single engine light utility helicopter, seating 9 persons or 600 kilograms of cargo. It was designed for a variety of uses, including business flight, transportation, aerial photography, search and rescue, surveillance, fire-fighting and others.

Launched in 2015, the AC312E is slated for certification by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in 2017. Currently, the manufacturer has won more than 80 orders for the aircraft.