The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) officially certified the homegrown AC352 mid-sized utility helicopter on July 26 in Harbin City in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province to enter the domestic civil aviation market. The twin-engine AC352 has a maximum range of 850 kilometers, the longest in its class, making it ideal for emergency rescue.

But what does the certification mean, and why is it so important? First, the certificate is mandatory for any new aircraft seeking market entry.

Since its successful maiden flight on December 20, 2016, it has taken five years and thousands of test-flight hours to achieve the target. 

Watch the video to learn more about how the AC352 utility helicopter achieved its target.