The Sukhoi-built SuperJet completed its maiden flight yesterday in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

The regional jet flew more than an hour and reached an altitude of 1,200 metres, said the Russian manufacturer in a statement. In a telephone interview with Bloomberg, Sukhoi CEO Mikhail Pogosyan commented: “This is a big success for Sukhoi. Despite many difficulties, we achieved our goal”. The 75- to 95-seat SuperJet made its first flight five months later than scheduled.

Airbus has sold a total of 11 private jet versions of its aircraft since the beginning of 2008

At the Ebace business aviation show in Geneva yesterday, Airbus said it has sold a total of 11 private jet versions of its aircraft since the beginning of 2008. The plane maker added it would announce another order for three single-aisle aircraft today. In 2007, Airbus’s Corporate Jets division sold a total of 38 aircraft, of which 31 were based on its A320 family and seven were wide-bodied,

Growing appeal of Mexico for European aerospace manufacturers

Les Echos investigates the growing appeal of Mexico particularly for European aerospace manufacturers and their suppliers, which see in this dollar-based country a solution to the threat of the weak US currency over their competitiveness. The state of Queretaro, 200km north of Mexico City, has become the new global aeronautics ‘El Dorado’.

The helicopter sector is the one aviation segment that is reaping a benefit from the surging oil prices

The helicopter sector is the one aviation segment that is reaping a benefit from the surging oil prices, argues Financial Times. Eurocopter, for instance, won 73 firm orders for oil and gas transport helicopters in 2007, a rise of 42% over the previous year. Its US rival Sikorsky, for its part, claims at least 50% of the offshore energy segment.

The Toulouse area is concerned about the future of the aeronautics sector.

The Mayor of Toulouse, Pierre Cohen, and the presidents of the regional authorities, Martin Malvy and Pierre Izard, met French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde yesterday and expressed “deep worries” about the future of the aeronautics sector. In a letter to Prime Minister Francois Fillon, they urged the State to create an industry monitoring group, under the government’s authority.

France seems ready to swap its ambition of leading the European aerospace industry

France seems ready to swap its ambition of leading the European aerospace industry with Germany’s own ambitions in the energy sector, says Financial Times. Paul Betts, a columnist for the British daily, stresses that French presidents like to “make their mark with a grand project”, citing achievements by General de Gaulle, Francois Mitterrand or Jacques Chirac in the industrial or artistic fields.

EADS is not preparing a counter-bid for US defence electronics group DRS Technologies

A spokesman for EADS said yesterday that the group is not preparing a counter-bid for US defence electronics group DRS Technologies, thus denying an earlier report by Le Figaro that the company could lodge a bid. He added that no executive committee was taking place yesterday, for that matter. In a comment piece, Dow Jones Newswires says it will not be easy anyway for EADS to elbow Finmeccanica out of the race for DRS.

Dassault Aviation has won an order for 20 new business jets from operator NetJets Europe

Dassault Aviation has won an order for 20 new business jets from operator NetJets Europe, valued at $ 720M. The sale involves the manufacturer’s new Falcon 2000 LX model. In total, the deal is worth more than $ 1Bn as it includes a maintenance contract.