PARIS. June 14 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Regional Jet (RRJ) program will enjoy considerable state support, Boris Alyoshin, head of the Federal Industrial Agency, told Interfax-Military News Agency at Paris Air Show 2005.
"State support of the RRJ project will be considerably increased next year," Alyoshin said. He noted that a total of about $100 million were invested in the project in 2005 on the repayable basis. Next year the RRJ program will also see direct budget funding, since aircraft of such class receive support at a national level, which is the case in Canada and Brazil. Alyoshin emphasized that investments would be quite considerable.
"The Aeroflot air carrier, which is now selecting a regional aircraft, may make a down payment as soon as it decides whether to procure the RRJ," Alyoshin said.
According to him, Russian banks, including Vneshtorbank, Vneshekonombank, the Russian Savings Bank, as well as many foreign companies express great interest in the RRJ program. "Italian and U.S. companies are among those interested in the aircraft. Boeing is ready to expand its cooperation with Sukhoi on certain conditions with regards to the logistics support and certifying the RRJ in the U.S. market," Alyoshin said.
According to him, the idea to establish a workshop at the Saturn Research and Production Association for manufacturing the SaM-146 engine to be mounted on the RRJ is very interesting. "The workshop will both manufacture aircraft power plants and act as a gas turbine unit, boasting high efficiency and output," he said.
"I hope that the workshop will have become operational by late October," Alyoshin said.
The RRJ program is one of Russia's biggest civil aircraft projects. The future sales volume of RRJ aircraft is assessed at over $12 billion. The predicted demand for the aircraft until 2020 is expected to total about 800 RRJs both in the international and the domestic markets.