Canadian airframer Bombardier Aerospace has refuted Russian reports that it is looking at producing the Q400 turboprop in Russia.
The aircraft is a "Toronto product" and will remain so, says Bombardier's vice-president of marketing Philippe Poutissou on the sidelines of the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Panama City.
Local news reports in Russia earlier this month quoted Russian government officials as saying that the country is in talks with Bombardier regarding the final assembly of the Q400 and playing a role in Bombardier's global supply chain for other aircraft.
While Poutissou says that the airframer is always in talks with potential partners as its supply chain becomes more global, he tells Flightglobal Pro: "There is no specific plan on the Q400 at this time. The Q400 production is in Toronto and that's where we plan to keep it."
The Q400 was certificated in Russia earlier this year. No Russian suppliers are currently contributing to the programme, says Poutissou. However, he notes China's Shenyang Aircraft's role as a major supplier to the Q400, saying: "There are always opportunities to work with different partners as we are currently doing in China."
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
