Aircraft

Sukhoi Aviation Holding's director general Michail Pogosyan believes the SSJ will benefit from the large network of Western suppliers to ensure its support programme functions as effectively as any regional aircraft built in Europe or the Americas.

"We will use the experience of our international suppliers to create a worldwide customer support network with service centres and warehouses," he says. "At entry into service, there will be a training centre set up with Thales equipment based near Moscow."

Alenia Aeronautica - Sukhoi's strategic partner in the SSJ programme - is aiming to form a joint venture this year with the Russian company that will operate a major sales operation, probably headquartered in Toulouse, to handling international sales and deliveries as well as worldwide aftersales support.

Alenia senior vice-president strategies and business development Carlo Logli says that the 50/50 joint venture company would 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 line [in Siberia]. For the rest of the world, deliveries will be handled by the joint venture," says Logli.

All SSJs destined for international customers would be ferried "green" from the KnAAPO plant to the European delivery centre for customisation and handover, says Logli.

"The joint venture would be responsible for worldwide aftersales support - spares, publications, training etc," says Logli, and could eventually forge a link with ATR, Alenia's 50/50 turboprop joint-venture with EADS.