SuperJet 100 Flew Over Purchases

The largest Italian airline - Alitalia - refused to purchase SuperJet 100. Agency Reuters informed about it on December, 17^th, though on Monday on December, 6t the Russian prime minister at inter-regional conference of the party "Edinaya Russia" declared that the Italian partners were already ready to buy considerable enough quantity of these planes.

On the eve of the conference, on Friday, December, 3rd Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin and the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi at the airport of Sochi examined the first-born of Post-Soviet aviation industry - short-haul plane SuperJet 100 which arrived from Yakutsk. Medvedev, Putin and Berlusconi examined salon and even had a sit in cabin. Berlusconi occupied a place of the commander of the ship, a place of the second pilot - Medvedev and Putin sat near to a place of the steward. As ITAR-TASS informed, leaders exchanged impressions about the plane and expressed the general opinion that SuperJet has big future. The chief-pilot of "Civil Planes Sukhoj" Alexander Jablontsev assured honored guests: "The plane is ready to launch at any moment, it's necessary only to make a decision". But honored guests for some reason didn't dare to fly up and Silvio departed to Italy by own plane.

Chat-in of honored guests in cabin occurred after official dinner, maybe, for this reason our prime minister understood the Italian friend incorrectly or may be Silvio talked a lot. Anyway, excuse of the incident is reasonable. The more so the prime minister acted in Khabarovsk before Party members on Monday and the first day of week, as you know, is very heavy.

11 days after the Khabarovsk statement agency Reuters informed that Alitalia plans to get 20 planes Embraer instead of 20-24 pieces of "Sukhoj". According to the head of air company Rokko Sabelli, principal cause is that the Russian plane still hasn't got certification of the International aviation committee.

The volume of the transaction between Alitalia and "Sukhoj" planned was estimated in 500 million dollars. Well, they lost! At that the Italian firm Alenia Aeronautica and Civil Planes Sukhoj established joint venture SuperJet International with head office in Venice, 51% of shares belong to Alenia Aeronautica and 49% - to Civil Planes Sukhoj. The primary goal of the new joint venture are advancement and sales of SuperJet-100 in Europe, the Mediterranean, Northern and the South America, Africa, Oceania and Japan, as well as their adaptation under requirements of the western customers and rendering of services of after-sale support worldwide. Besides, pilots for SuperJet will be prepare in Venice. The geography is extensive but they failed to sell SuperJet in Italy.

They talk a lot of good and bad things about SuperJet in mass-media. That its flying technical characteristics don't correspond to advertizing ones. That it has over 3 tons of weight excess. Also that they fail to adjust manufacture of engines on "Saturn", thus they are done in France. Not everything's ok with strength properties of fuselage. Though our prime minister Vladimir Putin is solidly behind it. It's the main thing for the project. Too much is applied into it to recede. According to the most conservative estimates - nearby 3,5 billion dollars. Let experts competently judge about the problems. Of course, they won't do it openly. It's forbidden.

"Aeroflot" was the first buyer of "Sukhoj" already at Okulov. What else the state company can do as not to agree. Plane working out has been hidden behind powerful veil of public relations. Then it was found out that the vehicle is late already for couple of years and the first deliveries are being postponed more and more and now are postponed till spring of the next year. At that the first plane will be delivered not to "Aeroflot" but to Armenia. That is the manager general of holding "Sukhoj" Michael Pogosyan chose as experimental passengers fellow countrymen.

The reason why Italians refused to get the plane is clear. It's interesting why new management of "Aeroflot" started talking before Italians about their possible refusal from SuperJet and different types of penalties. Manager General of "Aeroflot" Vitaly Savelyev was the first who mentioned it. Yes, that Savelyev who in spring of 2009 after entering the post reminded that it was he who, being deputy minister of economic development and trade, together with the minister Herman Gref were initiators of financing of SuperJet. He also reminded to employees of "Aeroflot" that the state waits that the company accepted and break in new planes. Now - walks back. It is possible to say that he first provoked, now hides in bushes.

"We won't make sub-standard planes, we will include all penalties. They already have debts and continue to get new ones", - deputy manager general on financial investments of "Aeroflot" Shamil Kurmashov who received financial training in dairy complex of Ukraine declared in October. It's hardly possible that these statements will shake confidence of our prime minister. He told in Khabarovsk: "It is our first civil plane which has been completely produced in a chain, meets the latest requirements in the field of civil aircraft..." Further follow the words of Vladimir Vladimirovich about readiness of Italians to buy a lot of planes.

Anyway "Aeroflot" would have to get SuperJet. It got used to wrap up crude vehicles. There was the same situation with IL-96-300. Engines were removed after several tens hours of a fly. They succeed: they wrapped up both the plane and the engine. Only two planes in the world had no catastrophes: IL-96 and B-777. (Knock on wood).

That the plane is late is a commonplace for the Soviet aviation industry, the more so for present one. It's a pity that only the glider is of the Russian origin in this plane. It's about 20% from the cost of the vehicle. So it's basically problematic to pay it back. It's also a pity that "Sukhoj" is engaged in it - the cobbler should stick to his last. It still could produce fighters. It could turn out to be embarrassment with the 5th generation...

But after fight - fists don't wave. This history with МС-21 as though hasn't repeated?

Though there's no need crying over spilt milk. Supposing that the same story will happen to MS-21?

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