MOSCOW. Nov 18 (Interfax-AVN) - According to developers of the Russian Regional Jet (RRJ), up to 70% of new jets will be exported, while the remaining 30-35% will be delivered to the domestic aircraft market.
"We believe that the domestic RRJ market will amount to 30-35% of their overall number. Most of new jets, up to 70%, will be exported to foreign air carriers, which is the crucial precondition for the success of the program," Mikhail Pogosyan, Director General of the Sukhoi Holding Company, told Interfax-Military News Agency.
He noted that RRJ developers had initially tried to design an aircraft, meeting future demands of the international market, and boasting great modernization potential.
"As compared with other aircraft being designed in Russia, the RRJ's major advantage consists in the fact that it was initially expected to enter the international market. The second major feature consists in the fact that it will be a whole aircraft family, rather than independent aircraft. Although featuring a relatively high level of standardization, aircraft, offered by other companies, are not a family, as they are based on different specification requirements and fitted with different power plants and avionics," Pogosyan said.
As far as foreign aircraft of the same type are concerned, for instance, those offered by Embraer and Bombardier, RRJ still boasts certain additional advantages.
"These advantages pertain to the best lateral cross-section for a 80-100-seat airliner. The RRJ features the 3+2 seat layout, unlike the 2+2 layout, featured by foreign aircraft, which provides for additional comfort and is the best layout for aircraft of this size," Pogosyan said.
He noted that Sukoi aimed to certify the aircraft in compliance with both Russian, and international standards, and upgrade it in the course of its service life.
According to experts, RRJ jets will also be superior to foreign rivals as far as their cost is concerned. "We believe that our mechanisms will allow us to control the cost of the aircraft in the course of development and production. RRJ baseline costs correspond to demands of the international market to the full extent. I do not doubt that insofar the cost-efficiency ratio is concerned, RRJ will be superior to foreign aircraft," Pogosyan said.
The RRJ development project, coordinated by Sukhoi, also involves Saturn, Snecma, Thales, Intertechnic, and other establishments.