Pogosyan sees market for 200 Su-35s

The mighty Sukhoi Su-35 lancing through the Le Bourget sky this week is just the beginning of the type's international exposure, according to Mikhail Pogosyan.

The head of Sukhoi's parent company, United Aircraft, is forecasting 200 sales of the type, split 50:50 between domestic and export. There are 48 currently on order so far by the Russian military and Pogosyan is eyeing 100 export sales, which should come from existing customers of Sukhoi or MiG jets.

Overall, UAC - the holding company umbrella under which the former Soviet fixed-wing aircraft industry has been consolidated - has stacked up an orderbook worth €25 billion ($33 billion), for 740 aircraft. About one-third of those orders are for civil types, including the Sukhoi Superjet 100, which made its Western-livery debut in the colours of Mexico's Interjet at Paris on Tuesday.

But while three years ago UAC's output was 95% military, today that figure is down to 85% - and Pogosyan expects civil-side growth will see it turning out equal numbers of military and civil aircraft by 2025. This year's output will be 70 military and 40 civil aircraft.

"Civil aircraft production rates have tripled in the last year alone," he says.

Last year's revenue of €4.5 billion was twice that in 2007, and Pogosyan expects sales to reach €7.5 billion in 2015 with the production of 200 aircraft, before doubling, to €15 billion in 2020.

UAC's consolidation of the Russian industry is continuing, with forthcoming mergers of Tupolev and KAPO, and of NAZ Sokol and MiG, says Pogosyan.

Flight Global