Kartika CEO Kim J. Mulia said SSJ100 would help fill a "regional niche" on Indonesia's carrier market because most national airlines focus on larger-capacity aircraft.
Sukhoi and Thailand's Orient Thai Airlines, which commands a fleet of 15 aircraft, signed an agreement of intent for the supply of 12 Sukhoi SuperJet-100 planes in the basic configuration, as well as a protocol of intent on the purchase of another 12 aircraft. According to Sukhoi's press office, the deliveries are scheduled for 2011-2014, while the supply contract is to be signed later this year. Its price is expected to amount to US$ 380 million or possibly US$ 860 million if optional equipment is included.
Orient Thai Airlines is said to be aiming to replace its fleet of MD-80 airliners with Sukhoi SuperJet-100 planes in order to gain a stronger footing on the air transportation market and broaden its network of destinations. “This is a very important step forward for Sukhoi. It’s a new market, a sizeable volume of supplies of the aircraft, that will be growing fast in the segment of regional flights,” said Mikhail Pogosyan, General Director of “Sukhoi.”
On Wednesday, Sukhoi sealed a $900 million deal to sell another 30 aircraft to Pearl, a new Bermuda-based leasing firm, marking its third significant firm order in as many days. Pearl is in the process of building up a leasing fleet largely based on Boeing and Airbus families.
Russia's Sukhoi hopes to control 15% of the world's medium-haul airplane market by 2029, the company's CEO said on Tuesday.
Mikhail Pogosyan said Sukhoi could sell up to 800 Superjet 100 aircraft globally in the next 20 years.
He cited global market studies estimating the regional-jet market demand in the next two decades at around 6,000 aircraft.
"So 15% of the market is quite a realistic and viable task," he said.
The SSJ100 is a family of medium-haul passenger aircraft developed by Sukhoi in cooperation with U.S. and European aviation corporations.
The Pearl order brings the total firm airshow Superjet orders to 72 so far, with two more days of trade negotiations before the show opens to the public at the weekend.
In a separate deal, Gazpromavia, the subsidiary of Russian state gas monopoly Gazprom said it had signed a letter of intent to buy 10 Superjet 100s, although it did not give a value.
And Sukhoi also said it had signed a deal to sell 50 of its MS-21 passenger planes to Malaysian firm CRECOM Burj Resources . The agreement was signed on Wednesday in the presence of Malaysian Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the Farnborough Airshow.
The first MS-21-200 and MS-21-300 planes will be delivered to Malaysia in 2016.
The MS-21 twinjet, which is still under development, is to replace the aging Tu-154, which currently accounts for the lion's share of Russia's passenger traffic. It is also expected to compete with the Airbus A-320 and Boeing 737.
The MS-21, expected to perform its maiden flight in 2015, should start rolling off the assembly line in 2016.
The MS-21 family will comprise three models designed to accommodate 150, 181 and 212 passengers respectively.
