Alenia Aeronautica is taking responsibility for marketing and sales of the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) SSJ regional jet in China, in addition to the USA and Europe. The Italian company is in the process of buying a 25% stake in SCAC.
Sukhoi will sell the twinjet in the CIS, the Middle East and South-East Asia (except China), as well as India. The partners have agreed to set up a joint venture in which Alenia will hold 51% and Sukhoi 49%. This will sell, market and support the SSJ worldwide. The joint venture will have delivery centres in Toulouse and Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia.
"This is a deal driven by political considerations," says Carlo Logli, Alenia senior vice- president, strategy and business development.
The Chinese market for new passenger aircraft is forecast to be three times that of India, but will be difficult politically as the rival ARJ21 is being built there, says Logli. "India is given out to Sukhoi as they are expanding their business in India following fighter sales success," he adds.
Correction - Last week's Flight International SSJ special incorrectly said landing-gear supplier Messier-Dowty uses Unigraphics software. The company says that Dassault Systemes Catia V software is used for all its development programmes. The SSJ specification table also contained incorrect information - visit www,flightglobal.com/superjet for revised data.
Source: Flight International
