No triumph for Russia's Sukhoi Superjet at MAKS-2011

The 10th International Air and Space Show MAKS-2011 finished its work. The number of signed international contracts for SSJ100 turned out to be lower than expected. Hard contracts and options were signed in the amount of $16 billion. For comparison, the contracts signed by Airbus at Le Bourget totaled $55 billion.

The cost of hard contracts signed by JSC United Aircraft Corporation during MAKS-2011 totaled over $7.5 billion, Mikhail Pogosyan, the president of the company told reporters.

Sukhoi Superjet 100 demonstrated modest international contracts, even though Mr. Pogosyan was promising an "avalanche of contracts" for the aircraft after Le Bourget air show in France. The contracts for the project were signed with India's Aviotech (20 liners of business configuration) and Indonesia's SkyAviation (12 liners).

The Indonesian customer announced the intention to order SS100 during the air show at Le Bourget. After the announcement, Sukhoi signed an agreement to deliver 12 aircraft to Italy's Blue Panorama Airlines and a memorandum for the delivery of 12 planes for Indonesia's Sky Aviation. It does not mean, though, that the contracts will be executed fully.

In pictures: International Air and Space Show MAKS-2011

At the end of 2010, Italy's Alitalia refused from its agreements with Sukhoi to purchase 20-24 jetliners. Air Astana of Kazakhstan also refused from Superjets.

Two other airlines of the former USSR - TajikAir and Kyrgyzstan - announced their intention to purchase Superjets during MAKS-2011. However, such customers need to be credited first.

A hard contract was signed with Gazpromavia - 10 aircraft. There was also the leasing agreement signed with VEB-Leasing to deliver 24 Sukhoi Superjet 100 to UTAir airline.

Thus, it is hard to say that the international sir show in the Moscow region became the triumph for the new Russian passenger jetliner. The Superjet was left behind by the short-range MS-21 that fetched as much as $6 billion. This is a very impressive number indeed taking into consideration the fact that the MS-21 is only a proposed plane that only exists on paper. The first liner is to be completed in 2014, whereas the serial production is expected to begin in 2016.

Mikhail Pogosyan, the President of United Aircraft Corporation, said at MAKS-2011 that the corporation was planning to build a new passenger jetliner on the base of Sukhoi Superjet 100 and the medium-range MS-21.

In general, the hard contracts, which the corporation signed during MAKS-2011, totaled over $7.5 billion. In addition, the cost of the package of options for those planes made up over $3.5 billion.

The pre-contract agreement for the delivery of three An-158 with an option for three more liners was signed between Ilyushin Finance Co. and Cubana de Aviacion (Cuba).

As for return contracts, there were two of them. Airbus and Transaero signed the memorandum to purchase eight A320neo aircraft for $730 million.

Ilyushin Finance Co. is buying three CS100 from Bombardier Aerospase and seven CS300 with an option for ten CSeries liners. The hard contract totaled more than $640 million.

According to anonymous sources, the contract between the Defense Ministry of Russia and United Aircraft Corporation for the delivery of 24 MiG-29 and 60 Yak-130 aircraft has not been signed.

Sergei Nikolayev.