Aircraft

Italian company to create Toulouse-based joint venture with Sukhoi to handle sales and support of Superjet 100

Alenia Aeronautica plans to create a major sales operation - probably headquartered in Toulouse - that will handle international sales and deliveries of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ), as well as worldwide aftersales support. The plan has emerged as the Italian aerospace giant works to finalise its planned 25% shareholding (plus one share) in Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC), with the $250 million transaction targeted for completion by year-end.

Speaking to Flight International at SCAC's headquarters in Moscow, Alenia senior vice-president strategies and business development Carlo Logli says that, in parallel with the acquisition of its stake in SCAC, the two companies will create a 50/50 joint venture company - currently dubbed "JV Co" - to handle SSJ deliveries and sales outside Russia and the CIS. "Aircraft destined for operators in Russia and countries with historical ties to the region will be delivered from the KnAAPO final assembly plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur [Siberia]. For the rest of the world, deliveries will be handled by JV Co," says Logli.

The plan, he adds, is to create a sales headquarters and delivery centre in western Europe, "probably alongside ATR in Toulouse", that would ultimately employ about 500 people - mainly Russians and Italians. All SSJs destined for international customers would be ferried "green" from KnAAPO to the European delivery centre for customisation and handover, says Logli.

"JV Co would be responsible for worldwide aftersales support - spares, publications, training etc," says Logli. Any direct involvement of ATR - Alenia's 50/50 turboprop joint-venture with EADS - in the SSJ programme depends on the latter's plans, he adds.

Sources say any early decision by EADS on participation in the SSJ is unlikely, given that its hands are full sorting out Airbus at the moment. The target for setting up the new Alenia/SCAC organisation is in the second quarter of next year, assuming the shareholding timetable stays on track and is completed this year, says Logli.

For the longer term, Logli says that Alenia will not limit its tie-up with Sukhoi to just sales and support. "We could use our experience of advanced materials to get involved in the construction of composite components," he says. "There are other potential areas of collaboration - for example, a supersonic business jet or even military projects in the longer term."

Production of SSJ prototypes is under way at KnAAPO, with the first aircraft due to fly next year and enter service in 2008.