Sukhoi will be turning out three Superjet 100s per month from July, which will lead to a total annual output of 26 of the regional jets.

And, according to Mikhail Pogosyan, president of the airframer's parent company, United Aircraft, the production rate will increase by one-and-a-half times during 2014, to take next year's total to 40 aircraft. After that, he said, further increases should put Sukhoi into the 50-60 per year range, which he describes as a "quite satisfactory figure" for the programme, which has at present an orderbook of some 150 aircraft.

The delivery here at Le Bourget of the first Superjet for a Western customer - Interjet of Mexico - was somewhat overshadowed by reports of a rift between Sukhoi and Alenia Aermacchi, joint-venture partners in Venice-based Superjet International, which is responsible for sales and completion in Western markets and worldwide after-sales support.

Alenia is understood to be unhappy with the volume of work linked to the project, but Pogosyan downplayed any "discrepancies or misunderstanding".

He said, however, that both sides "could be more efficient".

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Source: Flight Daily News

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