Beijing - The chief designer of the country's first C919 jumbo jet has urged authorities to establish a multi-billion-yuan State fund to help boost the sales of homegrown airplanes.

More financial support from the government will bolster the domestic aviation industry, which is facing strong competition from foreign players such as Boeing and Airbus, said Wu Guanghui, vice-president of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd (COMAC).

China is forecast to need about 4,000 planes in the next 20 years.