First deliveries originally were slated to begin by late 2008. "The airplane is currently in the final testing stages and it will make its first flight within a month," Alexei Fyodorov, CEO of United Aircraft Building Corp., told RIA Novosti. "Our specialists are working round the clock to meet our obligations to contractors." Last week, Superjet International CEO Alessandro Franzoni told the SpeedNews Commercial Aviation Suppliers Conference in Los Angeles that the regional jet's first flight was "imminent" (ATWOnline, March 19). To date, the 78/98-seat aircraft family has garnered 73 firm orders plus 46 options, the bulk of them from Russian customers. The company hopes to market some 700 aircraft priced at $25-$28 million. Program suppliers include Honeywell, Parker, Thales and Goodrich. The SaM 146 engine is supplied by Powerjet, a joint venture between Snecma and NPO Saturn. by Sandra Arnoult