NEW REGIONAL AIRCRAFT TO APPEAR IN RUSSIA

MOSCOW, February 3 (RIA Novosti) - The Rosaviakosmos (Russian Aviation and Space Agency) and the Saturn Scientific and Industrial Association are planning to conclude a contract in February to specify the amount of financing the program for producing an engine for the Russian regional aircraft RRJ (Russian Regional Jet), a spokesman for the Saturn press service said.

The engine is being developed in cooperation with the French Snecma Motors corporation," specified the Saturn spokesman.

In March 2003, the project of the family of Russian regional aircraft, being developed by the Sukhoi company, jointly with the Boeing and Ilyushin companies and the Yakovlev design bureau, won the state tender for the regional aircraft which was announced by the Rosaviakosmos in July 2002.

The RRJ family, which consists of RRJ 60, RRJ 75 and RRJ 95 aircraft, pursues the aim of most fully satisfying the requirements of Russian and international markets of passenger air traffic with minimal expenditures on their development which provides for a maximum unification of the elements of the plane itself, its engines and equipment.

The forecast demand for RRJ aircraft on international and internal markets till 2022 amounts to 630 planes.

This project will be included into the federal program "The Development of Russian Civil Aircraft for 2002-2010 and until 2015."