Sukhoi Civil Aircraft’s new chief is aiming to align some of the company’s practices with those of Western airframers, drawing on his previous experience with Boeing.
Kamil Gaynutdinov, appointed president four months ago, tells FlightGlobal that he wants to bring clarity to such areas as the Superjet 100 order book.
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft expects to deliver at least 30 Superjets this year – possibly as many as 34-36, up from the previous figure of 28 – and Gaynutdinov says these would all be new-build.
He acknowledges that the company has previously counted redelivery of aircraft as part of its total, one aspect he wants to change.
“I don’t see this as the approach going forward,” he says, stressing that he wants to impose his own standard.
He adds that the airframer is also intending to redefine its order book process, because it has a “different contractual structure”, and he wants to be able to “compare apples to apples” when figures are viewed from outside.
Gaynutdinov has similarly sought to revise the market demand forecasts for the Superjet, to give the company a foundation for its strategic plans, but it has yet to finalise the projections.
“I like to see a lot of fidelity, and thorough discipline, in making projections and in the market outlook,” he says, highlighting the “huge amount of value” his experience at Boeing provided.
Gaynutdinov, who served as Boeing’s Moscow director of commercial aviation services, says he has “quite a bit of freedom” to bring changes to the Sukhoi division, claiming a “lot of support” from the board of United Aircraft for his efforts.
He plans to increase the efficiency of the company’s internal processes, but says: “That doesn’t necessarily come through reducing headcount.”
Greater economics can be achieved by establishing clearer definition of functions, he says, adding that processes can be streamlined in ways which are not always intuitive.
The airframer is establishing a central spares distribution facility at Moscow Sheremetyevo, sited close to the runway, to shorten the time to ship components to customers. By co-locating functions and shifting operations out of the city, the company can arrange quicker meetings with airline representatives.
Gaynutdinov adds that modern digital aircraft generate substantial data. “If we collect that, we can do miracles with it,” he says, through integration with airlines and maintenance organisations. “It’s something we’ve not been focused on before.”
Noting the decision by Ireland’s CityJet to use Superjets, he appears unconcerned by the effects on international sales of the recent political shift which has led Russia to become more insular and focused on more localised production for its domestic aviation industry.
Russia’s government understands the need for the aircraft to be attractive, he says, through use of the most advanced technology.
“The priority is keeping the aircraft a reliable competitor,” says Gaynutdinov.
He says the airframer retains a close relationship with its partners in the Superjet project, describing the SaM146 powerplant as a “piece of genius” and hinting that its Franco-Russian manufacturer, PowerJet, could unveil a significant development in the next few months.
Although Italian firm Leonardo is withdrawing as a Sukhoi Civil Aircraft shareholder – Gaynutdinov says this is a “lengthy process” which is still being worked on – the airframer insists it will maintain strong ties with the company’s engineering capabilities.
Gaynutdinov claims sales outside of Russia will be “much larger in future”, adding that the manufacturer is reinforcing its after-sales network and investing in improvements to the aircraft. Winglets are set to be introduced in 2018 and the aircraft has undergone enhancement to its operational capabilities, increasing the number of airports to which it can fly.
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft wants to ramp up customer support, such as spares distribution, to provide a “world-class” product, says Gaynutdinov, and offer a level of service to airlines that “they have come to expect from Boeing and Airbus”.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
