(Yicai Global) April 26 -- Meng Qinggong, a senior designer on a Chinese plane seen as a challenger to Airbus and Boeing aircraft, has died of a heart attack. He had been helping as a volunteer in his residential compound in Shanghai during the city’s ongoing lockdown.

Meng, 43, died on the way to the hospital after suffering the heart attack at home on the evening of April 24, Yicai Global learned.

He was deputy chief designer of the CR929, a wide-body plane developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. The CR929 was jointly developed with Russia and is similar to the Airbus A330 series and the Boeing 787 series. It is expected to take to the skies for the first time in 2025 and start being delivered to airlines in 2028.

Meng, who was also the deputy director of COMAC’s Composite Materials Center, worked in several aviation research institutes and was the chief designer of the ARJ21 jet.

Recently, he had been working as volunteer in his housing compound in Shanghai’s Minhang district, delivering antigen detection reagents to residents and taking the time and trouble to explain the test procedure to the elderly.

“I registered as a volunteer as soon as the property manager issued the notice because I’m a member of the Communist Party of China,” Meng had said. “The work is simple, but feels very meaningful.”

In a WeChat group, a local community leader expressed the profound sadness of residents on hearing the news of Meng’s death and extended their condolences to his family.

Editor: Futura Costaglione