Time and again over the years we have heard the mantra that the Russian aircraft industry does not support it's products and thus it's customers well, especially overseas.
Then along came the SSJ. With a lot of good will for the plane to succeed, many people hoped against hope that this time it would be different... but no, like a self-fulfilling prophecy this promising newcomer has been hobbled by lack of support and that good will and fresh start has been squandered.
What I don't understand is why. In comparison to how it is a massively expensive and complex project to design, build, test and certify a modern jet aircraft, setting up a support network should be a low-tech walk in the park. It should be an easy problem to solve.
A couple of stategically placed rented warehouses around the globe (in say, Mexico City and Dublin) in an unfashionable part of town holding a stock of the spares that are likely to cause an AOG isn't going to break the bank. A deal could be done with 3rd party suppliers to hold a stock of their parts "on consignment" so they share the cost/risk of holding inventory.
Couple the above with a customer service office back at the factory, a Fed-Ex account and a "go team" to support their customers when an AOG occurs and voila! Rocket science it ain't! They could even sell it as "Sukhoi Gold Care" or something
Am I missing something?
