Moscow: Russian aircraft maker Sukhoi will
not make the first delivery of its Superjet 100 passenger
plane this year as previously announced, the head of the
company was quoted as saying today.
The Superjet, which is seen as a potential saviour of
Russia's struggling civil aviation sector, has been hit by
repeated delays.
Sukhoi was originally set to deliver the first Superjet
to Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot in November 2008, but it
said last year the delivery would only be made in the second
half of 2009 -- a deadline it will now miss as well.
"We will not deliver it" by the end of the year, the
Interfax news agency quoted Sukhoi general director Mikhail
Pogosian as saying in response to a reporter's question.
Pogosian did not specify when the first delivery was now
expected to take place, Interfax said.
The Superjet, which is being developed jointly with
Frenche engine builder Snecma and Italian aerospace firm
Alenia Aeronautica, had its maiden flight last year.
A mid-range passenger plane, the Superjet 100 is being
marketed as cheaper than its rivals, Brazil's Embraer and
Canada's Bombardier.
It is being built in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a remote city
8,000 kilometres east of Moscow.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 20:25