Sukhoi Civil Aircraft is forecasting that the break-even point for the Superjet 100 (SSJ) regional jet programme will be reached in 2012 on the back of 180 aircraft sales.
Chief financial officer Maxim Grishanin says it is estimated that "payback point" will be reached by 2015 with 350 sales. "In any programme payback point is between 300 and 400 sales," he said at an FT Executive Briefing called "Investing in the Sukhoi Superjet 100", held in London on 24 October.
SCAC predicts a total of 800 aircraft sales through 2024. "In the long term we aim to capture 20% of the regional jet market and we believe we have the products," Grishanin says. "This project is the last chance for Russia to come back into the civil aircraft market," he adds.
Grishanin's short-term goals for Sukhoi over the next 14 months are to prove the company's capabilities by achieving first flight by year-end and delivery of the first aircraft to launch customer Aeroflot at the end of next year ensure an initial level of sales in key markets and launch efficient sales and after-sales operations.
The company is targeting a total of 100 sales by the end of this year from the 73 currently held, says Grishanin. He adds that Sukhoi is negotiating another 130 aircraft with a total of eight customers, and while some European carriers and lessors are interested in the SSJ, orders are unlikely before the first delivery of the aircraft to Aeroflot next year.
Source: Flight International
