Rows of sleek jets, modern helicopters and shiny airliners filled an air base outside Moscow today for the opening of Russia’s grandiose aviation and space show – MAKS 2011, that marks its 10th anniversary. MAKS is a kind of aviation biennale, held every two years since 1992, and established by today as one of the major world air shows.
A week-long event has set up an ambitious program to secure new export contracts. Approximately 800 companies from 40 different countries are participating. In total, Russian and foreign companies will showcase 241 aircraft and nearly half of them will rise in the skies.
The diversity of represented jets apart, it was Boing 787 Dreamliner that steeled the show on the opening day. It is one of the most sophisticated and environmentally -friendly jets on the world market at the moment. Haute Living got an exclusive comment from Boing Commercial Airplanes vice-president Randy Tinseth:
“787 Dreamliner is our newest aircraft. The airplane is finishing up its fly test next month and then it makes its first delivery. The Dreamliner is an airplane which is all about new technologies – new composite airframe, new wings, new engines, new fly deck, new interior, and it has absolutely wonderful value proposition for our customers. It will allow our customers to open up new markets profitably. This airplane is going to be a new experience for passengers ‑ not only the way it looks inside but I can guarantee you at the end of a long flight you will feel better on the Dreamliner than any other airplane. This airplane has been very successful on the market place; today we have 827 orders from 56 customers, so it is absolutely the best product we have ever brought to the market. If we look at the long term, over the next 20 years, we see a total demand of 1080 airplanes here in the CIS, including Russia, because airplanes are valued at $110 billion and if we specifically look at Russia, about 75 percent of that demand is in the Russian market.”
Speaking about new major deals, Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot plans to ink a contract with Riostekhnologii corporation for the purchase of 50 medium-range MS-21 planes, and UTair airline is due to sign a deal for the delivery of 24 Sukhoi Superjet-100 aircraft. Similar intentions were earlier shown by Airbus. The total number of contracts to be signed at this year’s MAKS show may exceed $10 billion.
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