Putin is set to open Russia's air show

Putin is set to open Russia's air show

ZHUKOVSKY, Russia – Russia's largest and most important air show is getting under way, overshadowed by a bad economy, a terrorist attack and a deadly air force crash.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is set to open the International Aviation and Space Show on Tuesday.

Analysts expect few major deals to be signed during the weeklong show held at a formerly secret military airfield outside Moscow. Russia is using the event to showcase its huge but aging aerospace indsutry.

The show's opening was marred by Sunday's collision of two air force jets, which killed the leader of the Air Force's elite aerobatic squadron, as well as a suicide bombing Monday in the North Caucasus that killed at least 20 people and wounded more than 130 others.

Russian PM Putin to attend MAKS-2009 air show

MOSCOW, August 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit on Tuesday the MAKS-2009 air show near Moscow and attend a meeting on the development of Russia's aircraft industry.

Over 711 companies, including 465 Russian firms, will participate in the biennial MAKS air show outside Moscow on August 18-23.

"The prime minister will watch the performance of the Russian and foreign aerobatics teams and visit the booths of leading aircraft manufacturers," the government press service said.

The meeting with aircraft industry officials will focus on the restructuring of the sphere, expansion of the range of models and exports of Russian-made aircraft.

According to the government sources, the financing of the aircraft industry has increased twenty-fold in the past five years. Despite the current economic crisis, the government allocated about 80 billion rubles ($2.5 billion) in 2009 for the development of the industry.

MAKS bills itself as "a demonstration of the advantages and development trends of Russian science and industry in such high-tech areas as aviation, space, missile engineering."

Overall, 1,449 exhibits will be on display, including 470 full-scale models.

The organizers said more than 500,000 people are expected to visit the MAKS-2009 air show.

Putin to attend MAKS 2009, to hold meeting on aircraft building

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=14243893&PageNum=0

MOSCOW, August 18 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday will visit Zhukovsky outside Moscow where he will hold a meeting on issues of the national aircraft building industry development and will visit the MAKS 2009 international aerospace show that is held for the 9th time.

The government’s press service told Itar-Tass that members of the government, heads of related ministries and departments, the leadership of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), as well as representatives of Russia’s leading aircraft producers will take part in the meeting. The agenda includes a set of measures on restructuring the national aircraft building, enhancing the sector’s stability, expansion of the model range, as well as improving export opportunities of Russian aircraft producers.

Within the framework of visiting the air show the prime minister will watch performing of Russian and foreign aerobatics groups and will visit pavilions of the world’s leading aircraft producers.

The development of the aircraft building industry, along with cosmonautics, shipbuilding and atomic power industry is a key priority in Russia’s industrial policy. Since 2004 the volume of state financing of aircraft building increased more than 20 times. This year alone, with taking into account the anti-crisis measures the RF government allocated for these purposes 80 billion roubles that were spent on the purchase of national planes and subsidising expenses on technical re-equipment of serial plants. Some 35 million roubles from the budget were spent on increasing the authorised capital of key enterprises of the sector.

The International Aviation and Space salon MAKS held in Zhukovsky is a rightful occupant of a leading position in the ratings of major world aviation forums. The very idea of the MAKS lies in demonstrating Russian high technologies and domestic market openness to joint ventures with the use of foreign partners' cutting-edge advances, it is said in the event’s press release.

MAKS is held under the auspices of the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, being traditionally opened by the President of the Russian Federation. This is the warranty of superior organisation and authoritative participants. During the show, top civil servants are open for business contacts. For all those engaged in aerospace business the air show is a unique opportunity to get the first-hand information on the standpoints of decision-makers whose position can have an impact on key issues of developing and selling aircraft and their weapons, as well as on cooperation in these fields.

MAKS provides participants with the most comprehensive understanding of the Russian aerospace industry's priorities and advances. MAKS Air Show is the only place where one could see aircraft and weapons system prototypes as well as experimental systems that cannot be shown abroad due to some or other reasons.

MAKS provides experts and businessmen a rare opportunity to establish contacts at various levels, further development of R&D and production cooperation and search for new business partners. The role the MAKS plays as a generator of new alliances and promising concepts has been recognised worldwide.

MAKS is held in the town of aircraft science and technology - Zhukovsky - at the airfield of the major national testing facility - Gromov Flight Research Institute. The participants in the show will be able to visit nearby major research, production and experimental organisations of Russia.

High on MAKS agenda are scientific conferences and symposia held under the auspices of the Russian national research centre - TSAGI. The events enable scientists and experts to trade their idea concerning topical aerospace issues of the present and past.

More than 80 aircraft are taking part in the MAKS 2009 flight programme. For the first time in the static exposition and in the flight programme the newest Sukhoi Superjet-100 passenger plane will be presented. The Sukhoi Superjet-100 is a modern, fly-by-wire regional jet in the 75- to 95-seat category. The Superjet-100 will be produced by Russian aerospace firm Sukhoi's civil division, of which Finmeccanica of Italy owns 25 percent. The jet is being developed in collaboration with Finmeccanica subsidiary Alenia Aeronautica. Italian design group Pininfarina will design optional interiors. The Superjet-100 is currently undergoing certification process.

As of June 2009, thirteen planes were under construction, and the first four will be handed over to clients by the end of 2009. After 2012, the company will build 70 Superjets per year.

On July the 26th, the third of four SSJ100 prototypes SN95004 took to the skies.

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is designed to compete against the Embraer E-Jets and the Bombardier CRJ programs. Sukhoi claims the SSJ will have 10-15 percent lower operation costs than its Embraer or Bombardier counterparts for the price of $27.8 million.