KHABAROVSK. July 28 (Interfax-AVN) - The program of building the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (Project RRJ) regional plane at the Komsomulsk-on-Amur aircraft production association will have a positive impact on the future of the manufacturing plant, the Sukhoi Holding Company's Director General Mikhail Pogosyan told a Friday news conference in Khabarovsk.
"We have contracts with Russian companies now. All formalities are passed with the supply contract on 30 aircraft for Aeroflot," Pogosyan said.
According to him, similar procedures are now in passing for the contract with a leasing company to enter into force. During last week's Farnborough international air show in Great Britain Sukhoi signed a memorandum of intentions with Krasair on supplies of 15 aircraft, plus an option for another 15.
"We have entered negotiations with UT-Air, Pulkovo and Rossiya air carriers," he added.
As for contracts with foreign companies, Pogosyan said that the holding company has reached preliminary agreement with Indonesian and Vietnamese airlines. He added that Sukhoi is taking part in the Swedish SAS contest with its Superjet 100.
According to him, the directorship of Air France visited the plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur two weeks ago to get to know the state of affairs with the construction of experimental versions of the aircraft before the test sequence starts.
"I am quite satisfied that they praised the level of technological preparations and reequipment we have made to ensure program's implementation at the highest technological levels," Pogosyan emphasized.
Sukhoi Superjet 100 is one of the largest undertakings in the Russian commercial aircraft building. The Sukhoi company is the program integrator. According to experts, the total investment of $920 million is needed to put the program into action. Depending on modification and configuration, the price of the aircraft will amount to somewhat near $25 million.
Project RRJ was included in the federal program of Russian commercial aviation development in 2002-2010 and till 2015, which means budgetary assignations for its implementation.
The forecasted stock of orders for Sukhoi Superjets before 2010 is about 800 aircraft. Russian airlines are expected to buy about 150 such planes for this period.