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MOSCOW (BNS): Russia's Sukhoi Company (JSC) will start delivering its Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft in mid-2010.

According to a news report by RIA Novosti, the first commercial deliveries of the regional airliner will begin in the middle of next year.

"We are hoping to start training the crews next spring," said Viktor Khristenko, the Russian industry and trade minister, as per the report.

Superjet 100 is a modern regional airliner in the 78-98 seat category. The cockpit design features a passive side stick and active engine control levers.

The aircraft features fully electronic fly-by-wire control system for piloting, landing gear extension and retraction, and a break system to prove its high maintainability and weight perfection.

Superjet 100's airframe parts are manufactured at Sukhoi's production facilities located in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (KnAAPO) and Novosibirsk (NAPO), while the technologically advanced production site in Voronezh (VASO) provides the aircraft parts made of composite materials. Other partners involved are the Italian Finmeccanica Group, and Finmeccanica subsidiary Alenia Aeronautica.

The first aircraft will be delivered to Armenia's national airline Armavia and Russia's flagship air carrier Aeroflot.