HOHHOT, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Genghis Khan Airlines, a newly approved airline company based in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, plans to complete its maiden flight early next year, the company has said.

The airline will use domestically-developed ARJ21 jetliners, and employ a fleet of 25 airplanes over the next five years, Hao Yutao, chairman of the airline told a press conference on Monday.

Genghis Khan Airlines was approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in March, and has completed its professional personnel recruitment, including pilots, flight attendants, and maintenance technicians.

According to plan, the airline will operate 60 air routes linking 40 waypoints in the region in the coming five years, said Hao.

The region currently has 28 civil airports, including 20 transport airports.

Hao said his company is expected to have a fleet of 50 airplanes and operate 150 air routes eight years later and plans to gradually open international flights.

The ARJ21 was developed by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). It is China's first regional jetliner, with 78 to 90 seats and a range of 3,700 km.