Plane Rich

The growing trend for smaller, cheaper aircraft in Russia was con­firmed last month when Etirc Aviation announced that it is devel­oping the first ever foreign aircraft production plant in Russia in the city of Ulyanovsk. Production of Eclipse 500 micro-jets is set to begin in 2009 when the plant will supply aircraft across Eurasia. Alexander Livshits, managing director of Etirc, explained the choice of location to The Moscow News:

“This is not some kind of out­sourced second grade manufacture of an outdated vehicle for a third coun­try. It is the most modern mass man­ufacturing factory for jets ever built. Other European states were consid­ered such as Turkey and the Czech Republic, but only Russia fitted all the requirements. Certain factors were crucial like the long history of avia­tion, strong education in both air­craft construction & training of rele­vant personnel and the high pace of growth of the economy. We also had support from the local government.”

The price tag of the Eclipse 500 is a fraction of the cost of many tradi­tional business jets. At just $1.5 mil­lion this aircraft is within reach of not just Russia’s billionaire elite, but also those who are simply very, very wealthy. And it seems that Russia’s new generation of multi-million­aires are snapping them up:

“I have never seen so much enthu­siasm about this machine as I have seen in Russia; perhaps only in the United States. Both Russia and the U.S. are countries are with long histo­ries in aeronautics and both have been ruling this industry for the last centu­ry;” Livshits comments.

Other manufacturers of “low-cost” executive jets have noticed a similar enthusiasm for their products in Russia. Cessna Aircraft Company, cur­rently the world’s leading manufac­turer of light and mid-sized business jets by volume, sold 20 aircraft in CIS countries last year ranging in price from $8 million to $22 million.

“Russia is an increasingly important market to Cessna and I think it will become very valuable in the future;’ Tom Perry, regional sales manager for Cessna, tells The Moscow News.

“We expect to see smaller aero­planes becoming increasingly popular; they are lower priced and better value. The aircraft we manufacture are aimed less at the oligarch few and more at wealthy businessmen who need something that is both practical and cost effective,” Perry continues.

But according to Forbes Russia, buying a private jet, even a very small one, only becomes cost effective if you travel more than four times a month. Less frequent fliers in Russia are increasingly chartering aircraft as a less expensive way to experience travel on a private jet.

“This is a more suitable option for customers who do not need a private jet everyday, it provides flexibility,” comments Amelie Lorenz, a spokes­woman for Lufthansa Private Jet, which operates point-to-point flights between destinations in Europe and the Russian Federation.

For those who want to taste the high life and aren’t so fussed about where and when they travel costs of hiring a private jet can be brought down even further by utilizing an empty legs scheme. About half of all charter flights currently fly with no passengers onboard because planes need to be flown back to their base after dropping off passengers. Many air charter companies now offer cus­tomers the possibility of buying these “empty legs” for a reduced fare. The Russian group Planeta Aviation, for example offers up to 30 percent discount on empty legs between Moscow and other European and Russian cities.

But despite new innovations in the sector, private aviation in Russia is still being held up by a number of hurdles. The Russian Business Avia­tion Association complains that Russia is still lacking in suitable land­ing sites for clients of business avia­tion. High taxes on Russian-regis­tered aircraft have also led many owners to register their planes out­side Russia in countries like Germany and even the U.S.; surely another sign that not everyone with a jet in Russia has billions in the bank.

The Moscow News (2900)

Notes

jet реактивный самолет

pace темп, скорость

fit, v соответствовать, годиться

requirement требование

hire, v нанимать

tag ярлык, бирка, этикетка

hurdle [′hə:dl] препятствие

complain, v жаловаться

13. What do these complex words mean?

micro-jets, multi-million­aires, low-cost, mid-sized business jets.

14. Translate the following word combinations. Pay attention to different forms of the adjectives:

smaller, cheaper aircraft; the most modern mass man­ufacturing factory; smaller aero­planes; very wealthy; lower priced and better value; very valuable; less frequent fliers; a less expensive way; a more suitable option for customers.

15. Try to match up the words in column A with their synonyms in column B:

A B

plane modern

client cost

price wealthy

to manufacture oligarch

rich jet

magnate manufacturer

producer customer

up-to-date to produce

16. Translate into English:

1. Производство самолета малой авиации Eclipse 500 начнется в 2009 году. 2. Это самый современный завод по массовому производству малых самолетов, который когда-либо строился. 3. Россия соответствовала всем требованиям. 4. Мы также получили поддержку местных властей. 5. Сверхлегкие самолеты стоят дешевле и они лучшего качества. 6. Это самый подходящий вариант для клиентов, которые не нуждаются в частном самолете каждый день. 7. Несмотря на изменения в этом секторе, перед частной авиацией стоит множество преград и проблем. 8. Высокие налоги на зарегистрированные в России самолеты привели к тому, что многие владельцы регистрируют свои самолеты за пределами страны.